Down the Rabbit Hole
by im ur misconception
Summary: Ask b4 putting in any C2s. Re-posting back to FFN. One day Lucy discovers an odd little shop and is told that only those who are seeking something find it. Getting her hands on a strange necklace, she finds her self no longer in Earth Land, but in a whole other world completely. Learning to deal with demons, humans, and adventuring with an odd group of people leave her on edge.
1. Important Notice, Please Read

This notice is important (to me), and I would like it if you, the readers/reviewers, who have taken the time to show interest in the story/transformative work I have posted would as well. Because of what I am addressing, I feel it is important to me as a person, as well as every single person who uses or other such sites.

I have been a user of since 2003, and I was an unregistered user (no account) until 2008. So I have witnessed two purgings of people's stories/transformative works. And in that time, I have been a part of a few communities and forums, which made this site originally more unique, other than being one of the first sites to allow people to post their fictional pieces based on a fandom or genre they liked/loved. In the past few years that have been some issues cropping up that, well, don't belong.

The T.o.S of this site is specific on what is and is not accepted. Have I been a person who has posted something that broke the T.o.S? Yes. Have I (at some point) contributed to the toxicity and drama that happens in Forums, Communities, and the Fandoms? Yes. I own my mistakes and the things that came from them. Enough said, there is no need to dredge that backup.

The message I want to impart/share with all of you is this as it has become a growing problem on this site. And yes, I have taken the time to talk to my fellow Authors, whether in a fandom I am in or not, based on things I have seen/read here and on other places, but not limited to, like Reddit and other such sites. And that is people who think they are anonymous/faceless because they are on/using the internet.

While in some aspects, this is true, it does not give a person/human being/user of the right to be what is referred to as a Troll — thinking that there are no repercussions for them being faceless/anonymous (whether logged into their account or as a guest) and leaving what they "_deem_" as constructive Criticism on a fellow author/user story.

I think a lot of people forget that those who post the stories are consciously aware that by putting their/our works up on the internet on such sights as Fanfiction, Archive of our own, Wattpad ETC, that we are willingly making ourselves vulnerable. We are people with thoughts and feelings, thus receiving a review can be something that can make our day brighter, or completely tear us down and feel depressed or worse.

So let me clarify something. Let's start with something simple - Fanfiction and what it is! Fanfiction is a fictional piece of work, written by a person who is a fan of a specific fandom or genre. Thus they are taking creative liberties of an already existing piece of work and remaking it into something that is unique(ish) and creative to their own imagination and ideas. Whether it is canon or not. Whether it is Alternate Reality (in the canon universe) or Alternate Universe (a different world altogether).

Next would be Constructive Criticism and what that is and is not. Constructive Criticism is a written review by a fellow user/author, that is meant to be polite, and to state/point out if an author has made a mistake in their grammar (IE: Spelling and punctuation) or let the Author know that user/reviewer liked the story. The T.o.S. is very clear on this. It does state (I re-read them all before writing this) that they expect a person who is posting their stories/transformative works to the site to use some sort of Spell Checker, or google the words. Meaning this site does have a certain standard it would ideally like to uphold.

Good Constructive Criticism (whether done in a review or a PM [Private Message]) would let the Author know how you the user/reviewer feels about the story/transformative work you just read. Using words/phrases like "_I noticed_" or "_At this point, I got lost because point "A' didn't seem to connect to point 'B'._" These are acceptable, and show you the user/reviewer are being respectful of the Author's work, as well as implementing things that all humans learn (no matter their culture, ethnicity, or religion) growing up: Manners, Morals, and Common Sense (it isn't a mythical creature people).

Bad Constructive Criticism (hardly done via PM) is where a user/reviewer stated their opinion that is not useful in improving work. Opinions are fine, everyone has them just like armpits and assholes, but they can stink just as badly, and be very hurtful. When a review is left telling an Author that their story is crap (which no one has the right to do that, it is rude), or that they need to change something in "_**THEIR**_" story because _**you**_ the user/reviewer doesn't like it, and doesn't suit **_your_** needs, then it's bad constructive criticism.

By telling an Author they need to change "_**THEIR**_" story/transformative work, you are taking away their right to express themselves. Think about how you would feel if you had such a review? Because those who post things like that don't stop to think about the Author's feelings, or precisely what they could be going through In Real Life. The net leaves us, the users, faceless and anonymous, true. Won't deny it. But by using that, you are not seeing other users as individuals, thus making it okay in you the user/reviewers mind okay to be a troll, say hurtful things which are harassment and bullying.

And on the net, when you bully someone via some form of social media (this site does count as this because of the forums and communities it allows for like-minded individuals to gather) is called Cyberbullying. And no, again, I am not just throwing this out there. I have taken the time in the last two months to do my research both on the net, local libraries in my own state (each state/country has a slightly different take on Cyberbullying laws, look them up it is good to know what your state/country does to those who are found guilty) and talking with Lawyers about this subject.

No, this does not make me an expert, but relatively well versed and armed and ready just in case I catch hell and hate from you, my fellow users, who are reading this and have made it this far. I can attest that for most states in the US if a person is found guilty of Cyberbullying, they can pay a fine up to $5,000USD and have what they say and do monitored on the net or get jail time.

I believe that each person/user has the right to be respected. If you, the user/reviewer, read a story you know you won't like because of a pairing, a character, or the premise of the story, then I will automatically label you as a self-flagellating masochist. You are only upsetting yourself by reading a story with things you know you don't like. And thus think that because you have done so, it gives you the right to act like a savage with no morals, manners, or common sense and rip another person, who is the author of what you read, to shreds to soothe your own ego.

I can honestly say that at one point or another I have told authors' their story wasn't for me after reading a chapter or two to be sure. But never have I told the Author of what I have read that their works are crap, or that they need to change _**"THEIR"**_ work to suit my needs, or that they should go off and kill themselves. Yes, those people exist. One is in the Fairy Tail Fandom (those who are familiar with this person give a nod) who doesn't like a particular character and then proceeds to tell the Author (using deplorable grammar nonetheless) to step in front of a car, or that the Author is a retard (followed by a string of descriptive explicative). And yes, I have had this person, in recent months, leave reviews like that.

When I get reviews like that (I will be candid about this), yes, it hurts, but I take a screenshot of it before deleting (if it is a guest review) and then I block that user from leaving reviews (if they are signed into their account). Then I share it with some of my fellow authors (who all have at one point or another been targeted by this trolling Cyberbully, and we laugh. Because well, it's stupid for us. Again, I label people who read stuff that they know has things they don't like as masochists. And I don't presume to understand or even guess at what is going on in their minds in real life. Maybe they are being bullied IRL and want to take it out on someone, again thinking that they can remain faceless and anonymous, which is a sad fact.

Because there are things called an IP address which this site does track and can be traced back to the user who is abusing others, this leads us to two things that were added to the site years ago: the "Report" button and the "Block" feature. Both were implemented to help maintain and control the website so that the Administrators and Owner were not overrun with claims from the Authors/Users about other Authors/Users. Quite literally, a few years ago, I asked the Admins about these features after a year-long sabbatical from the site due to my health, both physical and mental.

This is what I was told: they felt the users should be mature enough to know the T.o.S and follow them, but if they stumbled across a user who didn't, then they now had the right/power to hit that button on a story that breaks the T.o.S clearly defined rules. And that the Block feature was instigated so that they didn't have to stop with updates, Server maintenance, coding, etc. (all essential and difficult stuff even with degrees, because it is continually changing) to review the complaints about users being trolls, harassing other users and bullying them. Again that leads to Cyberbullying and is a huge no-no.

If a User/Author blocks another User/Author/Reviewer, it doesn't mean that they are weak-willed, need to grow a backbone, or get thicker skin. It just means that they don't want to deal with BS that is being laid at their feet by another person. A person who has no respect or consideration for their fellow human/user of the site. These insults I have listed above have been tossed at me, which means that the person took offense to me not liking them, telling me what I had to change in my story to suit _**thei****r**_ damn needs. Or telling me that if I am to use phrases from another language to study that language and not _**FUCK**_ it up.

I laughed wholeheartedly, and when I need a good laugh, I go back look at that review(Like I said I take screenshots of such reviews to laugh at). I may not speak the Japanese Language, but I have friends who live in Japan that I have asked, as well as work my local Anime Convention and have access to our foreign guests to ask questions. My day was made one year meeting the creators of Naruto and One Piece and getting to sit in a private panel for staff and ask questions with my fellow staffers. A word in another language, depending on the traditional and/or slang use, can have many different meanings. And let's not forget that other cultures outside of the USA have words that are for everyday use, but when in a religious context mean something else — making Language a beautiful thing!

This marks the end of my little rant, for this is what this whole thing is. I refuse to change anything I have stated in this rant because it is _my_ opinion, _my_ thoughts. And I am entitled to them, just like each of you who have taken the time to actually care and read all this.

Sincerely,

Im Ur Misconception

PS - For the record, I have had a death threat given to me back in 2008 when I first started writing fanfiction. The very first story I posted was a fandom that is still going strong today, but is a lot more lenient about the pairings: Yu-Gi-Oh! Back then, I did something taboo: I put an OC (original character) into my story, just for starters. The pairings for my story also weren't one of the three or four that were **"_allowed_"** back then. IE: Yami/Kaiba, Yugi/Kaiba, Yugi/Tea, or the rare pairing, Kaiba/Joey Wheeler(Junichi). The person who delivered the death threat via review was very graphic in how they explained they were going to hack my account, ruin my life, hunt me down and defile me, before leaving me staked out in the middle of whatever backwater, inbred, redneck town I was to be covered in their fecal matter(I was told that they were banned completely and forever from via IP Address). I was scared (Cyberbullying was not a thing at the time, and I had little to no knowledge about hacking). I almost stopped writing, but having two sisters that are lawyers, a grandmother who was the secretary for a District Attorney for ten years, and my family (all who helped me fix this). They gave me support, and I stayed an Author here, sharing my work and growing as a writer. So, it is hilarious to me, as a person who has suffered health problems, severe depression and attempted suicide due to bullies as a young teen, then an abusive husband, that I now find people telling me to get a thicker skin or grow a backbone funny.


	2. Ch 01

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters; that right belongs to Hiro Mashima. Nor do I own Inuyasha or its characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

**Author's Notes: This story involves parallel world travel, Hijinks and trickery in a quest to find something precious**

* * *

"Let me tell you a story, little ones. A story of adventure, despair, hope, and eventually love." An aged woman said with a twinkle in the depths of her faded yet warm brown eyes. Smiling as the room full of children suddenly became quiet, as their expectant gazes focused on her. Bringing a warm smile to her face.

"Good, Good. Now listen closely to what I tell you, and decide for yourselves what to make of it." She said before settling herself into the large, overstuffed chair. "This story takes place in a different world, where the magic of all types exists. People of every walk of life used it daily, just like the air they breathed. Magic helped them thrive and live, for the most part, happy lives. And where like-minded people grouped under ideas, called guilds. And it is at once such guild that our story starts for our heroine."

* * *

The day had been like any other day in the city of Magnolia. At least as far as Lucy was concerned. The same routine of wake up, get ready for the day, head to the guild, watch her male teammates bicker before Erza broke them up. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.

All in all, it was a good feeling, though Lucy wished that something would be different. So with a resigned sigh, She turned away from the main guildhall. Leaving the image of Erza lecturing Gray and Natsu for fighting again. Putting the guilds barmaid, MiraJane, in her eyesight. A small smile on her lips as she just stared off into nothingness.

"What's up, Lucy? What a sigh of discontentment if I've ever heard on." MiraJane said as she finished drying a beer mug and setting it on the shelf behind her.

Widening the smile on her lips, Lucy let out a half-hearted laugh. "Not so much discontentment as wishing for something different would happen, Mira."

Silence followed her words as MiraJane just seemed to stare contemplatively. She was making Lucy wonder if she had something odd. "Be careful of how you say something like that. Because the result might not be as pleasant as you want."

Those words softly whispered, leaving a sinking feeling in Lucy's stomach. Her gaze was shifting quickly away from her friend and knowing that when MiraJane said something softly and seriously, there just wasn't truth behind it. But also the weight of something serious. Pulling a tentative smile as she spun away firm the bar to look out over the guild's main room in hopes of getting rid of that sinking feeling.

Already her mind was jumping from thought to thought of the possible consequences. Both simple and complex, making Lucy dislike her overactive mind at that moment.

While her mind flitted from idea to idea, leaving her preoccupied. She didn't notice Erza and the boys had come to stand in front of her. Until Erza spoke, "Lucy is something on your mind?"

Blinking her now wide brown eyes, Lucy put her best smile on her face. "No, Not really. Is there something you three need? Like a Mission?" she asked.

Watching them as she spoke, noticing that their faces said they didn't quite believe her. She was making Lucy feel a bit awkward, causing her to shift nervously on the stool. Her hands were plucking lightly at the hem of her shirt while she waited for them to say something.

"No, we don't have a mission in mind. But we are going to the Bazaar in the town square. And wanted you to join us." Erza said, her voice soft and measured, while her brown eyes searched Lucy's face before letting it go.

Tilting her head, Lucy felt confused for a second or two, before letting out a delighted squeal and jumping up from the stool. She took a step forward and linked her arm through Erza's. Beaming a broad smile up at the redhead, who looked a bit shocked at her actions.

"Most definitely. Now let's go looking and possibly shopping your guys." She said, her voice coming out bright with her sudden eagerness to go to the Bazaar.

The walk to the Bazaar was filled with Idle talk. Marking Lucy relax and enjoy herself even more as she joked and teased everyone in turn. Though the moment they stepped into the main town square, Lucy as well the others became silent. Each takes in all the sights, sounds, and smells.

After a few minutes, it was Erza that broke the silence, "So let's get looking. IT seems we have a lot of different vendors this time."

Lucy detected the almost child-like excitement in her voice. Before they set off to wander the impromptu walkways between the blankets and stalls, she was enjoying the random, eclectic items being sold. And of course the various food for sale that seemed to come from every corner of Fiore.

As they made their way through it all, Lucy enjoyed the many hours spent with her teammates. As the sun finally started to dwindle low on the horizon. The other people started to head home, as the vendors began to pack up their wares for the night. With a small sigh, Lucy spun around, so she was walking backward, looking at her friends. All of whom looked tired and ready to call it a day. Especially Gray and Natsu, since they were laden down with not only their purchases but Erza's as well.

Giving a soft shake of her head before speaking, "That was fun, you guys. Thank you so much for inviting me. Let's do it again before the Bazaar closes, Ok?"

Her words were met with groans from the boys, while Erza spoke up happily, "That would be a great idea, Lucy. It allows us to bond more, right Natsu and Gray?" She turned to look at them as she asked her question.

Both of them stood straighter and spoke in unison, "Aye, Erza!"

With a smile at their reaction, Lucy saw something small move in her peripheral vision. Turning her head to see what it was, only to feel as if her mind was playing tricks on her eyes. Because there was no way, she just saw a little creature with shiny, iridescent wings flying around and making her feel curious if it was some new type of magical toy. Lucy began to follow it away from her team as they continued to talk, or instead, Erza continued to speak to the boys.

Her feet were moving as if they had a mind of their own. As she passed several closed stalls, till she reached the far edge of the Bazaar. Where the small thing vanished down an alley, starting to wonder if this was some elaborate joke. Lucy continued to follow until the alley opened up to the outskirts of the Magnolia. Where a small wooden building sat, with a faint light of lanterns came through the window — telling her that there was still someone in the shop and it wasn't closed.

A wave of uncertainty washed through her as her feet moved her towards the door of the building. As she drew nearer, she saw a faded placard, almost the same color of the building hanging above the door. It read, _Welcome to all things needed_. Causing Lucy to blink her eyes at the name of it, as she realized it was a shop of sorts. Now curious about what kind of stuff a shop with a name like that would be selling. She lifted her hand to the doorknob without hesitation and opened the door.

As it opened, it made no sound as it showed a dimly lit interior. It was letting her eyes dart around seeing shelves, bins, racks, and display cases filled with all manner of things ranging from toys to clothes to books to jewelry and weaponry. Feeling a mix of awe and being overwhelmed, Lucy stepped further in noting at a glance; the place was immaculate. Not a speck of dust was nowhere to be seen. That while it looked as if everything was just placed anywhere. It soon became apparent to a trained eye for detail, that each section was themed. The last thing was while the interior seemed to be dimly lit, it wasn't the case. It was just done up in dark browns, greens with black accents.

As she was preoccupied with looking around, Lucy hadn't noticed there was another person present until they spoke. She was causing Lucy to jump and feel very embarrassed and turning her head to look at who was speaking, only to see a short aged woman with crystalline blue eyes staring back at her. Making Lucy jump a bit and blink at how blue and intense the eyes seemed to be.

"Uh, sorry I didn't quite hear you, ma'am," Lucy said, flushing darkly at her lack of manners.

Only to receive a chuckle that caused laugh lines at the corners of the woman's eyes, showing her amusement — making Lucy feel a bit more at ease as she realized that there was something about the woman that made her feel welcomed and at home there.

"No Problem, child. Now I wonder what brought you to my shop this evening." The older woman said, her voice very soft and sweet sounding. Leaving Lucy with a sense of comfort.

A little taken aback at the woman's voice, Lucy paused. Then carefully picking her words before she spoke once more, "Would you believe me if I told you, I followed a mythical creature? Then felt drawn to enter once I saw the shop.!?"

At her words, the older woman laughed as if crystals were clinking together. It reminded Lucy of the wind chimes her mother loved. "I've heard many strange reasons, my child." Was the only reply she got.

Letting out a breath she wasn't aware she has been holding, Lucy smiled warmly at the woman. "As for the need to enter, then that means that there is something in my shop you need." the woman said as she waved her arms at the shop in open invitation for Lucy to explore. "You'll know it when you see it. Then we can discuss the price for its child. Now go and look and enjoy yourself. I'll be at the front counter when you're ready."

Watching as the old lady turned and left after finish speaking, go to the front counter. Not needing another invite, Lucy immediately turned towards where there were books and tomes stacked and shelved. Her mind seems to be stuck on something the older woman had said.

But she shoved it to the back of her mind to pursue what was in front of her. Her eyes were already scanning titles spines and covers of the books. A few she had read previously, a few more were of ones she heard of and wanted to read. While quite a few of them were new ones, but pretty sure that they were also hard to find. And for some odd reason, that she just couldn't place, Lucy had no real interest in reading or even buying one.

With a small sigh, she turned away, feeling odd that she didn't want a new book. She began to walk up and down the isles, past shelves, crates, and display cases. Nothing was jumping out at her. Leaving her feeling sad as she made her way to the front counter and old lady, a frown on her lips.

"I am sorry, I didn't find anything-" Lucy started to say, only to trail off as a faint shimmer of pink in the case caught her eyes.

Shifting her focus to the case, Lucy bent over it to get a better view. Only to see a small pink marble-like sitting on a pillow. It was breathtakingly beautiful, as it seemingly glowed in the dimness of the shop. Looking for the little pink marble back to the store's owner, Lucy just barely caught a glimpse of surprise in her blue eyes.

Before she could say anything, the woman spoke in a whisper, "Child, may I know your name?"

Lucy blinked a few times before replying, "My name is Lucy, Lucy Heartfilia."

Only to feel curious as the woman's eyes widen, before looking a bit sad at hearing her name. "I see then; this is most definitely for you, Lucy," she said, bending over and taking out the little white silk pillow with the pink marble on it.

Once it was set on top of the display case, Lucy's' attention was once more focused on it as the old woman spoke again, "This little thing is the 'Shikon no Tama' and has quite the history behind it. There is no price to ask of you, Lucy, since it chooses you. Fate has spoken."

At her words, there was a ringing in the air as if something had been changed or set in stone. Lucy's head snapped up, her brown eyes wide and boring into the older woman's. Feeling very uncertain as her mind rapidly processed all she had just heard. While trying to decipher the strange words in a foreign language. All the while, her body was taking mini steps away from the display case.

"What do you mean, fate has spoken. What does Shikon no Tama even mean," she said, her panic showing in her voice?

Taking a deep breath, the older woman looked at Lucy with a slightly pained expression. "Trust me; I know how you feel right now. Everyone believes that they are in control of their destinies. But for a select few, it is a harsh truth that they are not."

Feeling more panicked by the second, Lucy came to an abrupt halt at the woman's words and how they matched her facial expressions — swallowing as she watches her, those crystalline blue eyes darkening, as her mind replayed memories of her past. Understanding exactly what was happening before her, Lucy felt her body calm down slowly. It was her understanding and the reasons she wrote letters to her deceased parents — a coping mechanism.

After a few minutes have gone by, the older woman seemed to come back to herself. A faint blush was crossing the bridge of her nose and cheeks. "Sorry, I didn't mean to space out like that. But all I ask of you Lucy is not to fight this. The Shikon no Tama is a living jewel. It is the four aspects that comprise the human soul. And when it chooses its guardian, there is no escape."

As the old lady spoke, Lucy saw tears form in her eyes. Tears that seemed to refuse to fall and only made those eyes shimmer brighter. On instinct, Lucy's legs moved her back to the display case as she placed her hands over the older woman's to comfort her.

With a timid yet calming and gentle smile, Lucy spoke in hushed tones, "Please smile and don't be sad. My whole life seems to be out of my control, so I understand completely what you've just said to me. Thought the concept of a living jewel is strange, why not. There is always new magic or forgotten magic that is out there."

The older woman just looked at Lucy before letting a smile ghost across her fact. With a small nod, she pulled her hands from Lucy's. Then busied herself with the jewel. She was picking it up, revealing a thin, black braided string with small shards of crystal, evenly spaced intervals that looked like little fangs.

Carefully watching the older woman's movements, while feeling happy, she smiled again. Once the jewel was handing like a pendulum from the string, Lucy couldn't help but feel pulled towards it. Then as if time slowed down, and she was a third party spectator, she bent down, letting the older woman slip it overhead. Until the black string rested around her neck, nestling the jewel upon her breast, once she was standing erect again. The jewel seemed to have always belonged there on her.

Staring down at the jewel, Lucy saw it glow or instead radiate light from within it. Causing its surface to shift and appear as if clouds were moving across its surface as they did in the sky.

Lost in the beauty of the jewel, Lucy started when the older woman touched her. "Be very careful, Lucy! I wasn't lying when I said it was alive. It's very sentient, as well as a powerful artifact. Even the gods have a fear of it. The Shikon no Tama can grant one wish. If it is a selfish wish, everything you know and love will become corrupted and evil. But a pure, unselfish wish will do the opposite For its power and your own are one. So it will affect anything you do, based on your reasons." The voice was gentle, but hard as steel, making her point quickly to Lucy.

Giving a small nod of her head in understanding, Lucy looked at the older woman and smiled. Before turning to leave. She felt as if she were in a daze as she walked out of the shop. She was feeling very uncertain about everything that just transpired.

_**TBC!**_


	3. Ch 02

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters; that right belongs to Hiro Mashima. Nor do I own Inuyasha or its characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

* * *

As Lucy left the store, staring intently at the jewel, the woman shook her head. A sad smile on her lips. Her crystalline blue eyes holding worry and hope in their depths, as the face around them gradually become younger. Once the change was done, she let out a slow breath as she made her way to the back of the store.

"It's done, Layla." she thought to herself as she stepped through the curtain.

"Madam, madam... I'm ready" A high-pitched voice greeted her, pulling her from her thoughts.

She was turning her gaze towards the voice, seeing a small woman, no bigger than her hand hovering a few inches above the back of her couch. Short black hair, dyed a rainbow hue through her bangs, while her petite, tan-colored body was dressed in pale greens, looking like tiny leaves. The iridescent wings on her back left a glittering powder in their wake each time they were moved. While a small cream-colored tail swished back and forth, almost unnoticeable behind her.

With a smile, the old woman spoke up, "Yes, Mai, you can go follow her since there is only one place she goes now."

A lilting chuckle was all that was heard, before the small creature spoke up again, "Okay, Kagome! I will make sure she goes down the well."

Blinking a few times, before she started to laugh at her small companion, Kagome was happy for how blunt the little fairy woman was. She had enjoyed Mai's company for the past 18 years since Mai had come with the little dragon slayers 400 years in the future.

Watching as Mai flew up and flitted about before zipping from the room to do her task in all of this, Kagome began to reminisce. Mai had arrived six years after she, herself, accompanied by five small children from Fiore's past. Having an understanding of time travel, Kagome herself had been somewhat in shock at seeing the massive stone doors being opened by Layla Heartfilia. Who she had become quick friends with.

Giving a small sigh, Kagome pulled out of her memories, just as Mai squealed happily and phased through the dusty window while she started to get ready to finally start living her life once more, now that the shop had finally served its purpose.

* * *

Each step Lucy took, put more distance between herself and the strange little shop. The small jewel in her hands, keeping her attention entirely focused, so she didn't notice that her feet were taking her to the edge of the Magnolia wood. When she came to a halt in front of a small, run-down wooden well. When her feet bumped the wooden boards at its base, Lucy looked away from the jewel. A small smile forming on her lips as she turned and sat down on the edge of it. Lucy was surprised at how sturdy it was compared to how it appeared. Giving a happy hum, she let the Shikon no Tama drop, so it rested just below her collarbone. Looking up into the treetops, letting her mind mull over everything that had just happened.

"Luce! Hey _Lucy_!" Came Natsu's voice.

Startling her from her thoughts and causing her to shift her weight, causing her to overbalance. Throwing her arms out in an attempt to keep from falling backward into the well, Lucy suddenly felt a dull ache along with her left rib cage as if something just slammed into her. With a shout of surprise bursting from her lips, Lucy tumbled backward, arms flailing into the well. The last thing she saw was her teammates rushing towards her as a bright blue light burst up around her.

As she flew through the odd blue light with its random white motes of lights, she tried to rationalize what was going on. At least until there was a brief flash of a darker blue that revealed a black haired girl with a pale heart-shaped face and very familiar crystalline blue eyes that looked as shocked as she was feeling before vanishing from her line of sight.

In the next instant, Lucy felt herself land on the cold hard ground. She was pulling a soft, yet pained sounding groan from her. Reaching down and rubbing her now tender bottom, Lucy began to look around the hold she was in. Seeing cobbled walls covered in ivy vines that climbed up and out.

Narrowing her brown eyes as she stood up, dusting herself off, being extra careful of her sore but. Once finished, Lucy walked over to the vine-covered walls, grabbing a vine and giving it a quick yank to test its durability. Finding that there was no real give, Lucy licked her lips and started the short climb up and mentally thanking her teammates for all their crazy antics and adventures over the years. Because now she had some good upper body strength.

As she climbed up, it dawned on her that her friends hadn't come to help her out. Wrinkling her nose as she finished the last few feet, Lucy already had a sarcastic comment for her friends. Only to swallow it as she pulled herself over the edge of the opening. Her brown eyes were going wide at seeing a very unfamiliar forest in every direction she looked.

Swinging a leg over as she crawled the rest of the way out of what she now presumed to be the well. Feeling panic start to well up inside her chest because she couldn't even feel an ounce of magic in the air or land. Swiftly she stood up, looking around wondering f if she had somehow been transported to Edolas again before quickly dismissing that idea. The blue light had felt like anima, except it was gentle and calming, almost soft as it surrounded her, now that she thought about it.

The sound of grass and leaves rustling drew Lucy from her thoughts. Her hand was instantly going to her side, hovering just above her whip at her waist. While her other hand dropped to the pouch containing her keys. Narrowing her eyes, as she warily watched where the sounds were coming from. Her patience was rewarded when a small figure dressed in what appeared to be an orange kimono half-ran and half-stumbled into the clearing.

Blinking slowly as the small figure righted itself, shouting, "You are back. Rin is happy!" While giving a gap-tooth grin. That quickly faded at seeing Lucy, who could only stare at the small black-haired child, that was a girl.

Minutes began to stretch between them as they just stared at each other. Before the girl gave an innocent laugh, clapping her hands together. She was causing Lucy to draw her hands away from her whip and keys. Watching the girls antics for another minute or two before sliding off the edge of the well and stepping closer to the girl. Once she was a few feet away, Lucy knelt to the girl's height, causing the girl, named Rin, to quiet down and look at her in what seemed to be an amusement from her dark brown eyes. Eyes that showed Lucy, the girl herself, had seen a lot of pain in her short life.

Again the girl, Rin, gave a gapped teeth smile, that was gentle to Lucy, before opening her mouth to speak. Only to stop and shut it when an almost tangible dark aura washed over them. Not liking the feel of raw power coming from the dark aura, Lucy stood up and pulled Rin behind her while her free hand went down to her side and unsnapped her whip, grasping it in her hand.

Fear began to roll in the pit of her stomach as the aura got stronger the closer it came. Though no sound of movement could be heard, and the wildlife that had been making soft sounds seemed to fade away, Lucy refused to drop her guard. Eyes were darting to and fro, while her mind recalled the training exercises with both Leo and Capricorn. Taking a few slow deep breaths to help calm herself, she focused on her sixth sense, since her main five were unable to tell her where the aura was coming from.

Soon enough, her heartbeat slowed, body relaxing as she let her survival instincts kick in naturally. It was a mere second, but she located the most concentrated place that the aura was coming from. Spinning and lifting her whip in one fluid movement as it came alive in her hand. Expertly flicking her wrist with little movement and expanded outwards to lash in warning on the ground was a tall, odd-looking man wearing white clothes appeared. His amber eyes narrowing dangerously at her in a dark, imperious glare.

Not giving a damn about herself, Lucy glared back as she spoke, "I do not know who or what you are, but I will not let you harm this child."

At her words, a smug and very arrogant sneer curled the man's lips, as he arched a well-manicured eyebrow at her. While a soft, peeling laugh came from behind her. Frowning at both the look the man was giving her and the girls amusement, Lucy took a step back and placed a hand on the girl, to try to keep her from aggravating the man.

"You are funny, Miss. This Rin is Lord Sesshoumaru's ward. He will not harm Rin." The girl spoke before pulling away from Lucy's hand.

In the next second, Rin was running around Lucy, towards the man. Stopping once she was beside him, looking as pleased as a cat that caught the canary. The odd man just reached down a hand, petting the girl's head as a parent would reassure their child. While never taking his cold, disdaining gaze off her. Causing a cold chill to run down her spine, like the feeling he could kill her without trying washed over her.

"Hey, what's going on? Is Kagome back yet?" came a loud, slightly irritated male voice, breaking the tension that was building just as another strange-looking man appeared.

Keeping the first man in her line of sight, Lucy took a glance at the new person. Quickly noting he had white-silver hair with what appeared to be dog ears on top of his head. Eyes that were the same shade of amber as the first man, though his outfit was red and the same cut as the other man as well. The information she got brought her to the theory that they were somehow related, as well as that they were not human in the least.

Again her body tensed when the second male looked at her. His amber eyes were narrowing in surprise, anger, and suspicion. And before she could react, he was in her personal space, sniffing her as his hand reached up to her chest to grab the jewel that was sitting there — making panic and fear well up inside of her. Trying to step back, a poof and pink smoke obscured her field of vision.

"You will not touch Hime." Came a very familiar female voice.

Blinking, Lucy felt an arm wrap around her waist as the pink smoke cleared, revealing a rather comical scene before her. Where the dog-eared man had been was Virgo looking pleased, while out of the corner of her eyes was the flash of orange hair framing a rather severe face. While behind Virgo, the tall silver-haired man just seemed to look bored, though she could tell that there was a glimmer of interest in his eyes.

Muffled curses came from beneath Virgo, where the only sounds in the growing silence. Causing Lucy to feel slightly awkward as she wondered if this day couldn't get any crazier than it already was.

Knowing the moment that crossed her mind, she wished she could retract it. Because the forest edge appeared to more people with two small animals, or at least she was sure they were both animals. Again silence filled the air as they all stood there staring at one another.

"Well, this is a pleasant shock. Who might you be, Miss?" The tall, dark-haired man asked as a smile twitched at the corners of his lips as he looked down at the white-haired guy Virgo was still standing.

Giving a shake of her head as she felt a smile start, Lucy spoke, "I am Lucy Heartfilia. And these are my friends and spirits, Loke and Virgo."

"Who cares who the wench is. She has the fricking Shikon no Tama and is here whereas Kagome is not." came a more than an irritated voice from under Virgo's feet.

Distinctively Lucy came up and grasped the pink jewel nestled against her breast. Sure, that confusion was showing on her face before she leaned back into Loki. Who she felt was very tense and ready to fight in an instant.

Hime, what would you have Virgo and I do?" He whispered in her ear.

Unsure of what to say or do, Lucy just shook her head as her brown eyes flickered from person to person in the clearing. Lucy felt very stressed and tired due to the tension that was rapidly drained her mentally and emotionally.

"I suggest we adjourn to the village before we start interrogating each other." The one, the girl, called Sesshomaru said, as he turned walking out of the clearing.

Lucy wasn't the only one who watched him leave only to see him stop and speak again, "and Inuyasha doesn't act so foolishly again; the woman has quite the fighting skill."

At the man's words, Lucy felt the eyes of everyone in the clearing looking at her, as heat flooded her face. She had the distinct feeling that she was paid a compliment by the man, who usually didn't give them. Her head as Loke's arm tightened around her reassuringly.

"Virgo, please step off of him, and would you all be so kind as to show us the village. So that we can get this all started and sorted out safely." Loke said in his politest voice.

With a step forward, the woman who had shown up with the dark-haired man spoke for the first time, "Of course! It's just a small distance from here. Please follow us. Come Kirara and Shippo; we are going to return to Kaede's hut."

"Okay, Sango," came the reply in a childlike voice.

Looking around and trying to find where it comes from, Lucy saw the one that she thought was it was a little boy with a fox's tail. Causing her jaw to drop as the little girl named ran over him slip her hand into his. The sheer amount of cuteness me Lucy smiled widely as she internally cooed at it.

Stepping away from Loke as Virgo finally stepped off the male named Inuyasha, her dark gaze darting down and meeting his slightly belligerent amber one directed at her. Knowing that no good can happen as a cruel smile appeared on Virgo's face, Lucy snapped her finger to get the least her spirit's attention.

"Let us follow them to the village, Virgo, you can go back now. Loke will be more than enough for now." She said as she reached out her hands.

When Virgo spoke," Of course Hime. Punishment?"

Shaking her head swiftly, knowing the amount of heat radiating in her cheeks that were red before Virgo vanished and another book of pink smoke. Not missing the mischievous smile on her spirits face. Telling Lucy she had been teasing her this time. Causing Lucy to decide exasperatedly at just how random her spirits be at times.

"Oh, different. Shall we go now? Because I am curious about what happened and where. The pink-haired woman just vanished to." The black-haired man said pausing before speaking again, "also, my name is Miroku." With that said, he turned and made his way into the forest.

Putting on her trademark mask a warm smile, Lucy started to follow him, only to stop and offer a hand to Inuyasha. Earning a baleful glare before he brutally slapped her hand away, standing up and vanishing into the trees with a jump. Causing Lucy to blink as she did her best to keep the smile on her face as Loke at her continued walking after Miroku and Sango.

Letting her brown eyes roam and take in everything around her as both Loke and hers stepped into the tree line seeing a well-kept but partially hidden. When the sun mostly set, Lucy couldn't make out much but could tell it was beautiful and serene. As if there was some type of spell that had been cast to keep it that way. It was allowing her to relax as her mind began to sort through everything that had occurred so far today.

The walk wasn't a long one, no more than 20 minutes at best. Which was the perfect amount of time to get her thoughts in working order? The fact it was quite the whole time helped immensely. So when they broke them into the forest overlooking a sloping path that led down to a small village, whose hut's not houses were quite possibly made of sticks, straw, and mud, Lucy couldn't help but giggle as the story of the three little pigs came to mind.

"Lucy?" Loke whispered to her.

Lifting a hand, Lucy shook her head and waved his question away as she followed Miroku down to the village. The closer she got, she could smell food and smoke from the fires telling her this place was more primitive as people wearing simple handspun clothes stopped to stare after passing. He was leaving Lucy feeling a bit awkward and out of place. Especially in her little barely-there blue pleated miniskirt, white backless halter top, and brown combat boots.

A soft squeeze to her hand had her looking up at Loke smiled at her reassuringly with confidence. Making tension, she hadn't noticed ease from her shoulders. If she looked strange that Loke had to be even odder. His height, orange hair, green-tinted sunglasses on top of his black tux, made Loki stand out.

Giving the nod, Lucy turned her attention forward to see Miroku standing by a cloth-covered doorway looking at them in curiosity. Unable to help it, Lucy let out a peeling laugh at the look, realizing the spectacle she'd been making of herself.

"It's nothing, Mr. Miroku." She quipped, winking playfully, "just me being a ninny."

The flush on his cheeks at her set Lucy off on another fit of laughter. He was causing the man to waive them to into the door before ducking into himself. Deciding to take a second or two to collect herself, Lucy looked up at Loke to see him smiling through his face was shadowed; he was contemplating something seriously.

"Shall we enter my Princess?" He asked again and whispered voice.

"Yes, let's!" She whispered back.

With that, Loke steps forward, moving the heavy cloth to allow her to enter first. Flashing a soft smile at him, Lucy stepped through the doorway. Her eyes were having to adjust to how bright it was on the inside from the small fire. When they did, Lucy looked around wide-eyed. Everyone, including the red-clothed man called Inuyasha, was sitting there looking at her. Plus, an additional in the form of an older lady wearing red and white clothing with the eyepatch.

She is bowing her head respectfully, mumbling a thank you for being allowed into space. Lucy moved to the side so loke could enter, he to nodding and saying thank you before shifting slightly to stand next to her protectively.

A few seconds went by before the elderly woman spoke up. "\We can talk after our stomachs are full."

With a small nod, Lucy knelt tucking her skirt under her before shifting her knees, so she was sitting on them. Her training as the daughter of a noble rushing back as her spine remained straight, hands clasped in her lap while she watched everyone else in the room watching her with interest at what she was doing — causing Lucy to tilt her head down and a small bit of embarrassment.

When a small plate cough resounded in the silence of the ways punctuated by just the crackling fire, Lucy lifted her head to look into the warm brown eyes of the girl Rin who was holding two wooden bowls of a savory smelling stew. Putting a gentle smile on her face as she took the bowl, Lucy saw the girl gave a gap-toothed grin as Loke took the other bowl from her.

"Thank you, Rin." She said as she watched the girls are everyone else present.

Again silence the small hut as the only silence. Each person was silently observing and thinking about the events and what was going to happen now.

_**TBC!**_


	4. Ch 03

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters; that right belongs to Hiro Mashima. Nor do I own Inuyasha or its characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

* * *

The meal had been taken in blissful silence. Though one couldn't tell from the scene in the small hut right now. Lucy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She realized that she didn't need to be with her teammates for things to degenerate quickly. A simple comment by the strange little boy named Shippo had elicited a rather blunt statement from the tall, silver-haired man, that the girl Rin had called Lord Sesshomaru. Which, in return, now had Loke up and ready to fight, of course, for her honor.

Narrowing her eyes, Lucy spoke, "Loke, calm down."

When she got no response other than a small, quick shake of her head, Lucy couldn't help it. Her emotions began to bubble over. Everything was coming to crash and bury her in that instant. From shopping with her teammates to finding the shop and acquiring the small pink jewel that brought her through a well to another world. Yeah, she was not in the best of states of mind. And the slight pulsing from her keys in worry of what their leader, on top of her feelings.

"_Leo!_ You will stand down and return to the celestial realm this instant. Or I will _force_ you _back_,``she said, her voice cracking like the whip at her side.

Unaware of what she looked like as she watched her spirit, friend, and family member stiffen and turn to look at her. Even with his sunglasses on, Lucy could tell he was in shock. Not just at what she said, but the tone of voice she used. The small frown on his face let her know he was not happy, but in the next second, a little poof was heard as the room filled with sparkling orange smoke.

Waiting until it cleared, Lucy placed her hands before her and bowed and already having figured out that this culture was similar to one of her father's old business partners. Women were of a subservient stature. The dress was more conservative. And those with a social standing expected to be given respect instantly due to the traditions. So, leaning forward, placing her forehead in her hands, she apologized.

"I am sorry for my spirit's reaction. They are very loyal to me and extremely protective," Lucy said softly, not lifting her head as she waited to be told to raise.

It was a soft _Hn_ that made her lift her head, making sure that it was the response she was waiting for. When her brown eyes made contact with expressionless gold-amber eyes, she righted herself — keeping her back completely straight as she let her mask fall over her face — not giving anything to him or the others in the room. There was no mistaking the looks that everyone else was giving each other and her, as they watched the way she interacted with the silver-haired man.

"Rin is confused... Miss Kagome wore clothes like Miss Lucy's... So, why did she get called... a..." Rin spoke up, her voice quiet and showing the depth of her confusion.

Feeling her eyebrows jumping up on her forehead, Lucy tilted her head just enough to ask to be the one to explain silently. When she got a slow blink, Lucy turned to look at Rin, who was sitting close to Shippo. The latter was holding her small hand in his own as his large leaf green eyes watched her warily.

"Rin, sweetie, I believe I saw this... Miss Kagome when I came through the well. While we are wearing something similar in clothes, my clothes are a lot shorter and tighter fitting. And apparently in this culture... that means that I am a woman who is loose with her... favors." Lucy explained, feeling heat rush to her cheeks. It was a somewhat awkward trying to explain clothing and life choices of whores to a child.

After a brief pause seeing a slight understanding in both kids' eyes, Lucy continued, "_But_ let me make this very clear. I am not such a lady. My culture in my world... is vastly different. And some women walk around in a lot less than me. Also, I am untouched. Which is why my spirit reacted the way he did to your...Lord's... words. They are, at times, way overprotective of my person."

At her words, she felt the shift in the atmosphere in the small space. She didn't have to look to tell that everyone was taken aback by her omission.

"Miss Lucy, you are saying that you dress like that and are...pure?" came the casual response from Miroku. Yet that response made her skin crawl as she picked up on the undertone of perverseness to it.

"_Feh_, as if the wench is untouched," came the rude reply from the one called InuYasha.

She let her face remained blank as she tilted her head just enough to look at the two males, who had a rather angry looking Sango between them.

"Inuyasha has your senses dulled to the point you cannot even smell whether she speaks the truth or not... Let alone it is clear that she is, as she says, a virgin," came the succinct, deep timbre of Sesshomaru.

Again she felt heat rush to her cheeks as she looked back at the man. She was letting a frown grace her lips to tell him that she didn't appreciate how he just spoke. Only to get him to stare impassively back, obviously not caring at all.

A cough broke the tension that was once more building — drawing everyone's attention to the only other person in the room — the old lady named Kaede.

"Child, ye are like Kagome, a traveler. While she came from another time, five hundred years in our future, you are from another world. And apparently, ye have a similar culture in your world to ours from the way you speak, react, and defer. Would I be wrong in assuming that you are a noble's daughter?" her aged voice carried in the silence.

A small twinge ran through Lucy at being labeled for what she used to be. But still, she let out a slow breath and gave a slight, single nod of her head to tell Kaede that she was correct.

"Then is that how Nobles in your world dress?" was Kaede's next question.

Sucking her bottom lip in and chewing on it, Lucy closed her eyes to center herself and feeling all present's eyes on her person. "No. I am no longer affiliated with my family. In fact... my family only consists of me now," she said, unable to keep the pain and sadness from her voice.

When Lucy opened her eyes, she saw the understanding in most of their gazes, though one had pity mixed with contempt in theirs. Choosing to ignore that person as they had yet to leave a good impression, Lucy let her eyes find Kaede's as stay there.

"I understand that my state of dress is unacceptable. May I inquire as to borrowing some suitable clothes temporarily? And as the evening has gone and night is here, where may I bathe myself? Coldwater is fine," Lucy asked, making sure to be polite and respectful to the elderly lady.

The way her brown eyes widened at her, Lucy wondered if the woman was not used to having this level of respect shown her. A small nod, Kaede looked to Sango and asked her to fetch a clean Kimono and to take her to a hot spring. Inside, a knot in the pit of her stomach loosened. She was allowing Lucy to relax just that bit more as she slowly stood up. Feeling her muscles protest from how she had been sitting for the better part of what she deemed to be two hours. Telling her, she was out of practice.

"This way, Lucy," Sango said as she reappeared from the other room of the hut with a small dark blue bundle of cloth.

Smiling at Sango, Lucy started to follow when she heard Rin speak up, asking if she too could bathe. Again the only thing said in the silence was a soft _Hn_ before Rin gave a small squeal of delight. Turning, Lucy looked at the girl and held out her hand on pure instinct. Once Rin had latched onto it, chattering away, Lucy looked back at Sango, who continued out of the hut.

* * *

It was not a long walk from the villages to a small outcropping of rocks that revealed a small stream that led to a quaint hot spring off to the side. The strong mineral smell had Lucy smiling at the thought of how good it would be for her skin. Letting go of Rin's hand, Lucy walked to its edge and sat down and started to remove her boots.

Peeking up through her bangs, she saw that Rin was divesting her clothes with a speed that only a child could, while Sango was doing it at a more sedate pace, though Lucy noted that Sango was watching her out of the corner of her eye.

"If you have questions, Sango, please feel free to ask them. I will do my best to answer them," Lucy said, not bothering to hide her amusement.

The small widening of the girl's eyes, as well as the faint blush on her cheeks, told Lucy everything she needed to know. Once she finished removing the last of her clothes, Lucy stepped forward only to pause for a brief second and scan the area. Her senses were picking up the faint traces that seemed magical, yet were not. Deciding to ignore it, she slipped into the hot water with a hiss of delight. Soon a splash had her squeaking as Rin dove into the water.

"Rin, you know you're not supposed to do that," came Sango's soft admonishment, though it was evident that she didn't care.

"Rin's sorry, Miss Sango, but she couldn't help it," was the simple, innocent reply before the girl burst out giggling.

Shaking her head, Lucy leaned back and looked up at the sky, taking note of the stars. The constellations were placed the same, but the other stars were different. It made her furrowed her brow a bit as she tried to orientate herself. Eventually, she was able to place things to her liking.

"What are you doing, Miss Lucy?" Rin asked her.

Looking away, Lucy looked at the other two, both who were staring at her curiously. Smiling as she spoke, "I am looking at the constellations in the sky. They are the same, but they are placed a bit differently here. And there are many other stars I am not familiar with."

She heard it herself in her voice, so she didn't have to see the looks the two gave her — the wistfulness and sadness. Letting her eyes go back up, Lucy pointed out the constellation Canis Minor first, then the others, and giving a small synapse of the story behind each. Unsure if they had the same legends or any at all here. It helped ease her a lot as the water let her body continue to relax slowly.

"You are very knowledgeable about the stars. Kagome... she once explained a bit about how people navigate by them at night. She gave... a few explanations on the constellations, but nothing like that. I can tell you are passionate about the stars," Sango said, her voice soft.

Lucy knew right then and there that Sango was very close to Kagome. It made her feel guilty for being there, even if she didn't have a choice in the matter. Even though she didn't have all the facts, Lucy was pretty sure that this group of people and this girl, Kagome, were very close. Just like herself and her teammates, through a bunch of trials and tribulations.

"My...Mother Layla taught me about the stars, Sango. My spirits are those that inhabit the constellations above us in my world. I do not see them as tools or extensions of myself. But rather, Loke and earlier Virgo, are my friends and family. I would never let them just fight for me while I stay safe. No, I trained to fight beside them, breaking the normal rules for my type of magic," Lucy said, smiling fondly at all the memories she had in and out of battle with her spirits.

"You love them, Miss Lucy!" Rin said, her words cutting through her thoughts, making her look at the little girl, who was giving a toothy grin.

"Yes. Yes, I do. Would you like to meet one of my favorites?" Lucy asked both of them.

The way they looked at her had Lucy laughing. Reaching behind her for her belt, there was a small poof before she even touched her keys. Shocking her as she turned to see Plue standing there looking at her.

"Oh... how did you..." She said in surprise as he wobbled towards her speaking to her. "Oh... that... is... okay, okay."

Picking him up, she brought him around to sit on her chest as she pets his head. The slight tilts to Sango and Rin's head let her know they were at a loss and unsure of what to make of Plue.

"This is the spirit for the Constellation of Canis Minor. I named him Plue; he is a dog... though he doesn't look like it. And yes, I can understand him," she said by way of explanation. "He just told me that another of my spirits, Crux is looking into everything."

The small, twin nods she got from the two was almost exasperating in its way. But Lucy was used to it since her magic was rare even in her world.

Careful as she sat up, Lucy motioned for both Sango and Rin to come closer as she held out Plue. "You can pet him. He doesn't bite. He does have a bit of a sweet tooth, though," she said in an attempt to make things less awkward.

When first Rin then Sango came closer and touched him. She saw the instant reaction on Rin's face as it lit up, and she cooed. Sango was a bit more reserved but soon warmed up. They are drawing a small Mew from off to the side, where a little cream and black marked cat with two tails and ruby-colored eyes stared at Sango.

"That is Kilala; she is my friend. She is a demon-like Shippo and Lord Sesshomaru," Sango explained as she waded over to the small cat and petted her.

Sighing, Lucy turned and placed Plue on the edge of the hot spring and watched as he made his way to the small demon cat. Who hissed briefly, making him stop and tilted his head. It was comical as he 'punished' at her, before bending and pick a small blade of grass and offering to Kilala. Who leaned in and sniffed it and then him before laying down and curling her tails over her nose and observing him.

"_Awww!_ Kilala is making a new friend," Rin said, causing not just Lucy to laugh, but Sango as well.

In short order, they all finished bathing and got out and dressed. But only after Virgo popped into existence with towels to dry off. Claiming that it would not do for Lucy to get sick being damp and walking in the chill air. Nor her friends. She was making Lucy rolled her eyes and smile at her spirit. On the way back, Sango asked many questions about her spirits, her world. To which Lucy said she would tell her story tomorrow after resting. That way, she didn't have to repeat herself, all while holding a mostly asleep Rin on her hip.

_**TBC!**_


	5. Ch 04

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters; that right belongs to Hiro Mashima. Nor do I own Inuyasha or its characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

* * *

Lucy smiled as she gave a small nod of her head. The night had flown by. The natural hot springs had been fabulous; her skin was smooth and glowing still from it. And Virgo had supplied a cute, yet simple and plain yukata for her to wear since her normal clothes were not appropriate at all. Changing them was a simple concession, and she could always wear her shorts underneath for those 'just in case' moments.

The slight warmth of early morning sunlight danced across her face as she slipped into the meditative state Capricorn required of her. Images of returning to the small hut causing her heart to swell at how Rin had watched her fascinated as she braided her hair. Before Lucy had asked for permission to do the same for the girls, which led to said girl curled up and sleeping with her on the tatami mat that had been given. So cute looking, Lucy had hated to extract herself, but training came first.

With a deep breath as Capricorn droned on about posture and clearing her mind, Lucy let the world slip away from her. She was focusing on the containers inside of her and noting that they were filled to the brim. And that the magic no longer looks white with gold-laced in, now there was a soft pink hue. It even felt different to her, making her wonder just correctly the _Shikon no tama_ was doing to her magic supply. With great care, Lucy pulled just small, minute amounts out of the two containers, forming them into little balls that she imagined were floating around her body.

A routine practice to help control the magic. Once she felt a gentle nudge from her spirit, Lucy began to expand each of the orbs. Feeling the flow, the magic as it was being pulled from her body was different. It was as if it had a mind of its own, as the amount increased on its own. It was leaving her to feel as if she was a small petal riding the torrent rapids of a river. Gasping as she tried to reign it in, Lucy felt not just Capricorn at the edges of her sense, but Leo, Virgo, Taurus, and all the other keys she had.

In the next instant, she heard herself screaming mentally as pain rippled through her body. Then the world around her was silent, awash in black, gold, white, pink, and oddly green. Sluggishly she forced her eyes to open. Blinking, Lucy saw the tops of the trees as the sunlight filtered through it. Struggling to sit up, Lucy felt as if there was a vice around her waist, a vice that got tighter the more she tried to move.

"You will cease movement, woman," a deep, cold voice growled at her.

The shivers that ran down her body as it complied as if it was being willed had Lucy moving her head only to get a good view of amber-colored eyes as they glared down at her. Only to realize a second later that there behind those amber eyes, was a dome of light that was encompassing her, with her spirits on the other side looking worriedly at her, along with the people she'd met the night before her — causing panic to well up in her chest as she opened her mouth to speak.

"I said do not move," again that voice sent shivers through her body. "What were you doing that produced this amount of power?"

The question was softly asked. It had been so quiet that Lucy almost didn't hear it. Shifting her gaze back to those amber eyes, Lucy felt her face heat. Realizing that she was exceptionally close to the speaker, stealing her voice away as she slammed her eyes shut. Trying to block out the image of their owner and the fact he was holding her. More so after being told that he didn't tolerate humans, except for Rin, near his person.

"You will answer me now, Woman," the voice snapped.

Frowning, Lucy took a deep breath in through her nose and let it hiss out between her lips as she gritted her teeth. "I have a name. If you want an answer, you will use it," she said back, doing her best to make her voice as polite as possible.

The pressure on her body gradually tightened, making her cringe as she opened her eyes and stared defiantly into the Amber eyes. She was letting her annoyance and anger show. The man... or rather male... was arrogant and pretentious. And if he thought she would bend over backward as a subservient female, he had another thing coming altogether.

A hiss of pain was heard as the barrier that was around them flashed as if in response to her. Narrowing her eyes, Lucy pursed her lips as those amber eyes took on a faint red tint. Letting her head fall back a bit, she saw a face that was not a perfectly schooled mask of indifference, no there was anger and something else flicking across the perfect porcelain skin as they fought to remain calm.

"I can say the same about you, woman," came the voice breaking through her thoughts once more. The red flashing dangerously at the edges of the amber pupils. "But, I will get my answers. Drop this barrier and tell me what you were doing."

Unable to stop herself, Lucy growled low in her throat. Making those Amber eyes widened just slightly before they narrowed further. Not sure why that face contorting into a slow smile until a voice broke the tension between them.

"Uh... Miss... Lucy... Rin wants to know if you... uh. can lower that glowing bubble you are making."

Blinking and gasping, Lucy turned her head as the fact that others surrounded them. Once more, her cheeks heated up as she lifted her hands and pushed at the male holding her. Lips were forming a thin line that had her hearing Virgo chuckling as Leo and Capricorn groan.

"I am not making that thing, so I have no clue, Rin, how to lower it," she stated in a calm, collected, and detached voice as she lifted her hand, curling it into a fist as she once more turned to meet that Amber gaze. "And I would be most appreciative of being let go. This is highly indecent for a man, let alone of the title 'Lord' to be holding me so close to their person. Especially if they have no intentions of wooing me."

The last words were bitten out with a sharp click of her teeth. Soon enough, the vice-like grip vanished from her person. Allowing Lucy to take a deep breath, she was not aware she needed it. Relaxing her hand, so it was no longer a fist, she shifted her person away. Only to feel her body brush up against that barrier of light. Furrowing her brow as a slight rumble came from the other person inside with her. It was amusing to them that she was not amused at how close they were though she was pretty sure that he not amused at being sequestered so close to her.

"That is why I asked what you were doing wom.."

At those words, she whipped her head around to look back at them, tilting her head up just a little bit and cutting the sentence off before they could finish. A low growl was coming from her again, this time louder as she let her eyes tell him that she would retaliate.

"I can answer that. I was having Miss Lucy meditate. To help train her magic for better control," came the smooth voice of Capricorn.

"Thank you, Capricorn," she replied without even thinking about it, her eyes never leaving that Amber gaze. She was locked in a battle of wills.

"Feh! You cannot be serious; you were just meditating and produced this amount of power? Do you have any fucking idea wench that you were putting yourself and everyone else in the village in danger? What are you stupid?" came Inuyasha's brash and smug voice.

She could feel the visible tic under one eye at his word. Calling her wench, then compounding it by asking if she was stupid. But it was the wave of guilt and shock that she had endangered others. Unbidden, the familiar burning of tears welling along the edges of her eyes as it kept sinking in further and further. She would never try to endanger anyone.

"Hime?" "Lucy?" "Princess?" came the voices, muffled by the barrier of her spirits. Making her shake her head, wishing the barrier was no longer there.

The need to be alone was strong at that instant. So when a collective gasp from all gathered was heard, Lucy felt her body being shifted until she was standing upright. Opening her teary eyes, she looked around her. The barrier was gone, but behind was nothing but the little or rather large-sized, floating orbs of her magic. With a deep breath, she called it back to her person. Watching as each one just blinked out of existence, only to feel exhaustion come crashing over her.

Pushing away from Sesshomaru, Lucy felt the world shift out from under her and already knowing that it was Magical Exhaustion. Lucy opened her mouth as familiar arms wrapped around her, lifting her. Raising her head, she smiled at Leo, who was looking at her, worry creasing his brow over his sunglasses. Though the tension in his body as he curled her towards him had her curious as she let her eyes flutter shut as she slipped into blissful oblivion.

* * *

He stared at the girl. She was intriguing. It was as simple as that. Even though she was human and beneath him. But something about her drew his attention. From the fact that she thought she could defend Rin against himself and with a whip no less. To the strange-smelling people or rather 'spirits' who kept popping out at random. They were fiercely loyal to her. As was proven last night as the orange-haired male, who smell of cat, had shown last night as his simple observation.

The gentleness she showed as well as her explanation of the fact she was once a noble's daughter. How she, like Kagome, drew people to her. A softer inner light. Though she showed a measure of respect to him, he had been taken by surprise, something not easily done, when he had watched as she sat down with the strange goat-man spirit for meditation to start and produce small balls of raw power, or as she called it magic.

He had watched from his spot in the forest shadows as her face completely relaxed. It was then that the small orbs grew in size rapidly. Something in him, instinct had him moving forward as if being drawn against his will. The moment he was within reaching distance of her, the Goat-man, Capricorn she called him, had warned him respectfully not to interfere. It was then that a familiar pink and holy energy burst from the orbs. Next thing he knew, he was shoved by an invisible force towards Lucy, who was unaware as her power swelled even further — lighting up the area like a beacon, inviting attack by those who would seek it.

He reached out to grab her and shake her. In that instant, he had found himself in a tiny barrier, holding her to his body. His senses were overwhelmed by her smell as he pressed her curves against his body. Each move she made caused his Youki to flare out at the holy power, and it was very uncomfortable. So the moment she seemed to come out of her meditative state, he gave her a warning.

The fact that she seemed to listen immediately made him glad. He didn't even want to think about why it made him happy. The look in her eyes in the next few minutes shifted through a variety of emotions before settling on, showing him she was annoyed with what he said. Forcing him to repeat his question while tightening his hold as the barrier flickered with her emotions. She is causing the fine hairs on his arms and back of his neck to stand up. Though he knew it was not under threat, it was apparent the girl had no clue.

Eventually, she replied, throwing his word into his face. And the way she growled, it had made him still. It was improbable that a human could even make that level of sound, let alone know what it meant — inciting him to feel even more annoyed, if not anger. Yet if she had answered his question, but only after Rin had asked it. He was having been aware of the others arriving from the village.

As he started to ask the girl again, he found the look she shot him stilled his word. It was frustrating. But he did his best to keep calm as the spirit spoke up. To which she immediately responded, rankling him further. Then his brother had just to speak up. His words were having an instant reaction from the girl, washing away his frustration as the smell of salt tinted the air in the barrier. Then it was gone, back to orbs, which were vanishing one at a time. Before she pushed away from him and stood up. Her skin paling rapidly as her body tilted to the side.

It impressed him how fast the cat-spirit moved to get her. The way she smiled at him before she passed out, Sesshomaru stood up and narrowed his eyes at the duo. There were so many questions that were still unanswered about this girl, traveler from another world. And he had thought the Miko Kagome had been bad enough. This girl was on a different level.

"I want answers, now!" he clipped out, earning a dark look from the cat-spirit.

"I think Brother Leo, that you should get hime back to the village to rest in the hut," came the soft voice of the pink-haired spirit.

Narrowing his eyes, Sesshomaru would not be denied. Stepping forward, he was stopped by a polite cough. Turning his attention towards it, he saw the Goat-spirit step forward a slight tilt of his horned head as he looked at him with respect and deference.

"I will do my best to answer any and all questions I am able. But be aware that I am limited as my Master is unconscious," his voice modulated and showing that he was polite only for the sake of propriety.

"That is fine," Sesshomaru said as he waved at the cat-spirit to lead the way, ignoring all others gathered there. He would have his answers one way or another because there would be many demons and humans soon coming to investigate the sudden flare of power and try and claim it. And he would not have something dangerous on his land without a good cause.

_**TBC!**_


	6. Ch 05

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or its characters, that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi-sama. Now do I own Fairy Tail or its characters, that right belongs to Hiro Mashima-sama.**

**Authors Note: This chapter was a pain in the butt. Because I know I needed to continue from where the last ended, but my muse said now and gave me the route to how it should be going and flowing. So, please, I ask you all, to forgive it if it is choppy and well horrible.**

* * *

They sat in silence, watching as the pink-haired maid attended to the unconscious girl. Waiting patiently for them to be ready to answer questions, but understanding that the spirits would need to take care of Lucy. All were wondering just what that power was that she had been released, though they were all familiar with the feeling of holy power and the Shikon no Tama. And that burst of power had been a mix of Holy power, the Shikon, and something none of them knew. But they were assuming that it was the magic that Lucy had explained to them yesterday.

Soon enough, there was that odd other-worldly _poof_, and the pink-haired maid was gone, leaving the goat-man and Orange haired man named Leo behind. Both sat next to Lucy, looking back at the group.

"I am now ready to answer your questions, Lord Sesshoumaru," Capricorn said.

A tilt of his chin and a soft Hn was all he gave as an indicator. Keeping his amber eyes on the girl lying behind the goat-man, Sesshoumaru spoke, "What exactly were you two doing this morning?"

There was a brief silence before Capricorn replied, "As was stated prior by myself. I was having her go through our normal morning routine of meditation to help her focus and control her magic. Though, I must admit that she had never produced that amount of magic. Nor the color pink to it."

He kept his face impassive as he listened to the explanation. He was making sure to break it down and analyze it thoroughly. The Magic concept was still an improbable thing to rationalize. Childish stuff, but yet he had seen it. And he understood the reasoning behind the meditation, as he did it as well. It helped provide a calm and gave more control and more natural adaptability to his youki.

"That pink is Holy Power, known to monks, priestess, and Miko's. It is normal, but dangerous to one such as this Sesshoumaru, the half-breed, Kitsune Kit, and two-tailed cat," He stated in a bored voice. "Explain to me why she has passed out."

He watched as the Goat-man, Capricorn, gave a brief look at the orange-haired male who smelled of the cat. Watching as he gave a small nod of his head, his hand never ceasing its stroking of the girl's hair. There was no mistaking the affection that was there. A fondness that spoke volumes of love in just the touch itself, which made another question come to mind. One he would be asking soon enough.

"It is called Magical Exhaustion. It happens from the overuse of one's magic, draining the containers for it that each mage holds inside," Capricorn replied concisely.

It was lifting an eyebrow at the explanation, as his eyes narrowed on the spirit before him. Sesshoumaru waited. Soon enough, there was a pink poof and that odd chime-like sound. The Pink hair spirit had returned, besides her was what looked to be a strange wooden box that had a mustache on what was a weird face.

"Capricorn, Hologram said he could explain better than you if you and big brother would allow it," she said.

Still examining the newest spirit, Sesshoumaru wondered what he was supposed to represent. And from the way it sat, it looked like it was sleeping, big snot bubble and all.

"Of course, I will not deny the one who keeps all knowledge for the Celestial Realm the right to educate who he wishes," Capricorn stated.

Not missing the slightly amused tone as he spoke, Sesshoumaru lifted a hand as his brother started to move. He knew his quirks and habits. When a soft grunt and whispered meh as the sound of his flopping back to the ground. Casting a quick side glance at the slayer and monk, he saw twin grins of amusement on their faces.

"Hologram if you would," Capricorn said.

There was a loud pop of the snot bubble before a yawn was given as the spirit blinked sleep crusted eyes.

"Oh... uh... yeah, okay," came an ancient and slightly wizened voice.

Then a loud gong sound, as the room filled with the smoke of another poof. Wrinkling his nose, and refusing to sneeze as his half-breed brother and the others were doing. Sesshoumaru waited for the gray cloud to thin and dissipate. Which it did quicker than he thought, revealing a wooden framed, black slate board.

"What the hell was that? It was foul, loud, and obnoxious. And what the hell is that contraption?" InuYasha bellowed.

If he were a lesser person, Sesshoumaru would be rolling his eyes and turning a baleful glare at his brother and smirking as InuYasha described himself to the letter, while the monk calmed him down.

"This is a blackboard. It is used for writing out things while lecturing. Do you not have such things in your world? It is common for schools and such when teaching," The pink-haired woman said.

Though as he looked at her, he could see her dark eyes alight with mocking laughter at his brother, who just huffed and mumbled about something similar in Kagome's futuristic world, though white and tacked to a wall. There was still much he did not know about the Miko, but he had been informed that she was from the future and had been on her way home for a visit before coming back to stay permanently. But instead hours later, they ended up with the feisty blond, wearing the Shikon No Tama.

The silence that hung in the air had him turning his gaze to the weird wooden box-like spirit, the goat, and orange-haired man. A small nod of his head had the goat reaching out and tapping the box spirit. Who started and coughed.

"Oh, yes, yes... of course," he said, floating to the board. "Okay, let's break this down to make it easier starting with humans and magic."

As the thing spoke, images began to appear on the board. The basic outline, nondescript humanoid, that had two small connected circles, like containers inside it. While next to it, words were appearing. Words that were in a language that Sesshomaru could understand.

"Humans, in our world, didn't always have magic. They evolved due to being able to harness it. Thus the containers. Not all humans, even in the current age, can wield magic. In fact, it is still a small percentage, no more than fifteen at max, I believe. And each person that developed magic had an affinity for basic elements at first," the spirit said. "As time went by, it evolved into various types of magic. There are too many to explain at this point. But due to the process, magic originally was harmful to the body, so again they adapted and evolved, thus having little containers, or storage places in their bodies where magic is collected and kept."

There was a pause as the spirit seemed to nod off. But something told him that the thing was not asleep, but waiting for acknowledgment that they understood. He was giving a small lift of his chin and Hn, as a low hum came from both the monk and slayer. The explanation was simplistic, but he was not surprised to know that his brother was radiating confusion. The kit by Rin, who was next to him, seemed even to understand. His brother was hopeless.

"Good. Now to the next part," the spirit said, his head nodding as if he was fighting off sleep. "As they kept evolving, the various types of magic diverged. And those rare humans that had a lot of magic potential were eventually able to have more than one type of magic. At first, two was the max, but now, some individuals have up to from what I know, at least ten types of magic. But those are people who have lived a long time, have taken the time to master their first magic. Knowing it inside and out."

Again the spirit paused; images on the blackboard changed and showed that non-descript humanoid with two containers doing various actions before it vanished, leaving it blank. Again Sesshoumaru repeated his actions, same with the others; his brother being sullenly quiet was a blessing.

"Now, onto Magic Exhaustion now that I have given you the basics," the spirit said. "That occurs when you are using your magic to the point that one or both containers are near emptied. If they are emptied, it can kill the mage. This state leaves the mage extremely tired, and often they can pass out. It takes time to refill the containers, as the particles in the air are absorbed through breathing or even regular continued meditation. As for now, I do not feel any of the needed particles, except the very rudimentary ones, in the air. So, it might take Lucy-Hime a while to even wake up."

Sesshoumaru listened as he watched the board again fill with the images that depicted a mage doing various things, battling included, and their containers progressively emptying. Showing the mage tiring out and falling down and even sleeping. But like the spirit said as long as there was even a little bit of magic in the container, they could live, just severely weakened. But if it was emptied, it showed a rather humorous picture of the soul departing their body, indicating death.

"Now, a mage can increase the size of their container through various means. One is meditation, which also allows them to connect and control their magic better. But also physical training and application. Lucy-Hime has two large containers. The second is called a second origin, meaning it has to be gained or earned through increasing the first to its max capacity and overflowing. It can be painful," the spirit continued. "And, of course, there are cheating methods of which to gain it quicker, but that means that it will be painful, you have less control over the magic until you train it. Unfortunately, due to circumstances, this is how Lucy-Hime had to acquire hers. But being the smart, tactician that she is, she mastered control of it easily."

Once quiet fell over the room, it was clear that the spirit would say no more as soft snores echoed in the small hut, the board vanished. And Sesshoumaru could tell that he was asleep again. The smiles on the faces of the pink-haired and orange-haired spirits told him this as well, because of the fond smiles.

"Are there any more questions you wish to ask, your lordship?" Capricorn asked of him.

Giving a small curl to one side of his lips at the respect being shown, Sesshoumaru nodded.

"Does she have more than one type of magic?" he asked.

It was quiet for a bit, but eventually, Capricorn answered, "No, not that we know of. She does have the capability to use heaven based magic, Fairy magic, or light-based magic. But she is content with the celestial magic she has. Each of us spirit is very diversified as is. It is making her ability to use a wider range of skills. Though she does like to fight alongside us, instead of staying back and directing. Often putting herself in harm's way, it is part of her way of saying we are more than a tool to her."

At that, Sesshoumaru felt his eyebrows itching upon his face. Though he quickly got himself under control. Face a blank mask; he noted that none of the spirits had missed his reaction, though they remained politely silent.

"That is impressive. But that was holy power leaking from Lucy, activating the Shikon no Tama, which should be in a mostly dormant state of being. And the feeling of power from the Jewel around Lucy's neck is unmistakable. That is like a homing beacon for Demons, and other humans who are corrupt and want to satisfy their own needs will now come for her," Miroku said, in a very sage-like voice.

This had the attention of the spirits. The box-like one jerked his body up straight, his odd face staring harshly at the young monk, who blinked wide-eyed.

"That would be most unfortunate. I am assuming that Lucy's magical abilities, which are not easily masked here, will make her a bigger target. I must return to the Celestial realm immediately. Leo, I will inform the king and research my library to see if anything new has appeared," Hologram said.

With that, the room was filled with another loud chime and the smoke. But it was gone in seconds. Sesshomaru was leaving the hut quiet once more. Each reflective in their manner. Eventually, Sesshoumaru stood up and made to leave. Only to pause at the door and look back at the spirits, letting a rare smile show on his face.

"The information you provided will give me much thought," he said. "This Sesshoumaru has one last question, for the orange-haired male. You are tender with her, are you her potential lover?"

The shock that crossed everyone's face was instantaneous. But watching as many things flickered across the man's face, in his eyes, now that they were not hidden. It told him much. He did love the girl, more than she probably knew. Though the sadness and repressed anger in his glare had Sesshoumaru inwardly smirking.

"No, I am not. It is forbidden for a spirit and human to couple at all. It is one of the biggest taboos that can be committed next to letting your mage die," came the terse reply.

Not missing the faint golden glow around the male, he just stared him down, only to have his eyes jerked towards the girl.

"At the base of the place where holy men rest. You shall find the key to the gate of a Lord who was a second too late," she mumbled softly, still asleep. Her face relaxed, a small smile curving pink lips.

_**TBC!**_


	7. Ch 06

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, that right belongs to Hiro Mashima; nor do I own InuYasha, that right belongs to the talented Rumiko Takahashi. **

* * *

He stood outside the older woman's hut. Eyes focused on the horizon to the west. Already the wolf had come to investigate, though he was merely curious. And of course, his brother had taken exception to Kouga's presence. So, now the two were off fighting. It was childish, in his opinion, especially since Kouga was slated to take Ayame as a mate and become the lord of the North.

From inside the hut, he heard a soft feminine groan. It had been almost three days since the girl had passed out. The answers he'd gotten from her spirits both satisfied him and left him wanting more. But the oddity of all this was the girl. At dawn, noon, dusk, and midnight she'd speak a riddle. One that gave the location, but not what she was to find.

The sky darkened as the sun finally sank beneath the tops of the trees. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes as he lifted his chin in silent greeting as a small pale green ball of light floated before him.

"Mother," was all he said as the ball changed into a tall, pale woman who looks just like him down to the magenta crescent moon on his brow.

"Three days, almost four, I have waited for you, my son. Yet you did not come to me," She snipped at him.

Keeping silent because he knew she was not done.

"I am greatly curious pup as to what you did. My castle in the sky, I felt your Youki, mixed with the power of the Shinkon... and something very otherworldly," She growled lowly at him. "Now, please explain to me what happened with that blasted Miko."

Already his mind was rapidly organizing what he would choose to tell his mother. Only to be brought to a standstill as the girl groaned and began to speak.

"At the base of the place where holy men rest. You shall find the key to the gate of a Lord who was a second too late."

As Lucy spoke, he watched his mother. Whose pale skin became almost translucent as the light of the moon, while her golden eyes widened in apparent shock. Before she moved past him into the hut. Of course, he followed only to see his mother stop no more than a few feet inside. She was staring down at the girl who was now on her side, sleeping peacefully — a small smile on her full pink lips.

"This is not the Miko. She smells odd as if she does not belong here," his mother whispered.

Sesshomaru knew his mom was stunned. A feat that was not easily achieved. So he took pity on her.

"She is not from here, or the future the Miko came from. She is from another world altogether. But she has the Shikon, Mother," he stated in a calm voice.

Though subtle, he saw his mother's shoulders sag. Almost as if in defeat. His proud mother was withdrawing into herself. It had his nerves suddenly on edge.

"When she wakes, I want you to never leave her side, Sesshomaru. Help her in whatever tasks she does," was all he got before she shifted to that small pale ball of green light and flew off.

* * *

Lucy opened her eyes and yawned. She was feeling rested. Checking her containers to find her magic was at full capacity, Lucy sat up. Her mind was instantly pulling up everything that had happened before she had passed out. It made her cheeks heat as Lucy recalled being in the one called Sesshomaru's arms and being openly defiant to him. She was giving a low groan as her mind conjured up images of the retribution he'd exact on her person. Because she had gotten a distinct impression, his Lordship didn't tolerate slights. Real or perceived.

"Ah child, ye have finally awoken. Come, let's get ye fed."

At the sound of Kaede's voice, Lucy looked up at the aging woman and smiled. She was earning a smile in return. Though her brain was trying to tell her what was said to her was out of place. But she was more interested in food. And for some reason, she was starving.

She was halfway done with her third helping of the stew. The stomach feeling much better when the others entered the small confines of the hut. Each was taking their little bowl of stew and sitting and eating. And Lucy noted, looking at her with a lot of curiosity.

"Uh... is something the matter? Did I get food on my face?" She asked after swallowing her current mouthful.

Watching as they all shared a quick look before Miroku spoke up. "I think I speak for most of us, Lady Lucy. But whatever happened three days ago, knocking you out, is of great interest. Because you not only harnessed quite a lot of the Shikon power but fused it with your magic. Than Lord Sesshomaru's youki, or demonic energy. As if it had no natural conflicting side effects."

Shock coursed through her mind and body. He left her unable to pick apart what he just said. No, it was stuck on the fact that she had been unconscious for three full days.

"Keh, I think you broke Blondie," Inuyasha chuckled.

Slowly she turned her head to look at him. Narrowing her eyes, Lucy felt for her link to her spirits. Silently she willed Virgo to appear. And Lucy did, feet on Inuyasha's head, force planting it into his bowl he just brought to his mouth, and into the ground. Smiling at the sight, she looked at her pink-haired friend who smiled before returning to the spirit doubt to inform the others she looked okay. Meaning both Leo and Capricorn would be visiting her soon.

"You said three days? And I did something... unheard of? Is there anything else I need to know? She asked in a calm, polite voice. Though internally, she felt anything but.

"Actually, yes," Sango spoke up. "You would at dawn, noon, dusk, and midnight speak a riddle."

At this, Lucy lifted an eyebrow., STaying silent so that Sango would elaborate a bit more. Because that sounded utterly absurd, she was out cold, not in a trance.

After a few seconds ticked on by Miroku spoke up, "Lady Lucy, you kept repeating this, 'At the base of the place where holy men rest. You shall find the key to the gate of a Lord who was a second too late.' And we know the place the first line indicates."

Pursing her lips as she tilted her head to the side. Her mind was turning the riddle over and over. Mentally thankful, they at least knew where it was talking about in this strange world. And the other part had her going through idea after idea. Though she had a few ideas, there was no way one or two would be correct.

"Woman, we leave at dawn. You may use the time traveling to figure it out," Sesshomaru commanded.

Narrowing her eyes as she sat up straighter, back stiff, and looked at him. Noting he just stared back at her impassively. She was not giving an inch, meaning that she was stuck with being up before sun up and traveling. Only like she'd done with her team due to Natsu's motion sickness.

_**TBC!**_


	8. Ch 07

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail; that right belongs to Hiro Mashima; nor do I own InuYasha; that right belongs to the talented Rumiko Takahashi.**

* * *

The trek was long, almost a week and a half from the small village. But it was not anything Lucy hadn't done before. And it was nice having the small group with her. Though she felt on the outside with some of the banter being tossed around. Their funny and sometimes outright horrifying stories of this Kagome girl, made her feel like she was her mirror image in this world. Always getting kidnapped, learning, and adjusting while on the go. Yeah, Lucy was glad for her old teammates and her spirits.

When they had reached where they were supposed to be, Lucy had felt a bit closer to the small group. Well, except for one person. She could get a decent read on him... sort of. But she was sure there was a stick so far up _Lord I-am-better-than-thou's_ ass. Often he reminded her of the Noble society and why she fucking left it. And had to bite her tongue to keep from speaking rudely and aloud. Especially after witnessing how many times he'd put InuYasha into the ground. Though the man-dog deserved it.

Hell, Virgo had done it a few times herself when he called her wench or undeserving bitch — complaining that she wasn't Lucy. Like that was a no-brainer. The damn guy had some issues. Abandonment, trust, abuse, neglect, PTSD. Yeah, she got that. But it didn't mean that she wore a damn sign that said, _I am okay with you talking smack to me!_ So, she smiled when her pink-haired maid would just 'pop' out right on top of his head, and face plants him. Of course, this had the others laughing hysterically and recalling stories about how Kagome would 'sit' him. She had muttered once that she would love to 'sit' him.

The way he tensed, went wide-eyed and fearful was humorous. When nothing happened, he relaxed and made a snarky comment. Only to have not just Virgo plant his face, but Aquarius pop out as well. He got a bath as the blue-haired spirit ripped into him. Essentially saying she was the only one to insult Lucy like that. This had Lucy deadpanning a comment as she waved her hand in front of her face.

"Miss Lucy?"

Looking around until she saw Miroku giving her a slightly concerned look, Lucy smiled. She had spaced out again. Lucy was going into her headspace. Something she had mastered when walking miles with her team, because she didn't want to deal with Natsu's and Gray's bickering. That subconscious ability to walk and avoid obstacles had been handy. Now, well, it made the group concerned. Getting her lectured. Though she knew they meant well, genuinely cared.

"Ah, I am fine. But thank you for the concern, Miroku... Everybody," she said and gave a polite bow.

The looks she was getting didn't help, but it was put on the side. There was an understanding to a point. When she looked up at the Mountain, Lucy was in awe of the raw power it radiated. And it was so pure. She had a feeling both Wendy and Chelia would flourish here. The air was clean, unpolluted. Their magic would probably ascend them. With a deep breath and sad smile at missing her younger mage friends, Lucy looked back at the group.

"It is beautiful. So... pure... this is where the Holy Men rest?" she asked.

The small nod she got from everyone was all the answer she needed. Reaching down to her key ring, she picked out the key she needed, Pixus. Holding it up as she spread her legs apart, Lucy focused her magic and directed it to flow to her arm and to feel the warm hum as it tingles throughout her body, just like when she bathed in a hot spring.

"I am the road that connects this world and the next. I ask that you open the gate of the compass, Pixus," she said.

The magic circle that appeared under her feet was almost triple the size, but the magic was not increased as she held back considerably on it. The look of wonderment from the group gathered was virtually pleasant in an odd manner. When a soft chime was heard, followed by a puff as Pixus appeared, Lucy knelt to the odd-looking spirit and rubbed its head.

"Hello Pixus, I am sure you know why I called you. But can you point me in the direction I am going for the missing key?" She asked.

Pixus tilted from one side to the other as if thinking. She knew he was locating the direction, before pointed. Smiling, Lucy went to send him back when Pixus poofed again. When the smoke disappeared, he was so much smaller and was flying around. It had her shocked. Not once had she heard of her spirits having a second form. Hell, there was a theory that she could tap their powers, and her appearance could change. But that took years of training, tough training.

"Pixus?" she asked.

The small commentary she got in her mind had her giggling. Nodding her head as she just started in the direction he'd indicated. She wanted to find that key. She had a functional theory on which key it was. Not wanting to spoil it for the others, Lucy kept mum, saying that the key had vanished from her world. That the story went, it was sacrificed, destroyed. A fate equal to death for the spirit as it could never be possessed or owned again.

* * *

He was not amused with how the woman kept spacing out, even if she was able not to trip, fall, or walk into anything. She needed to be situationally aware. And he had banned her from using her magic because he didn't want to draw more attention than she already had to the party. Which had incensed the woman to no end; she refused to be a damsel in distress and be protected. Instead, the damn girl pulled out that whip of hers and put it to effective use the three times they were attacked.

He had never seen or heard of a whip that could expand and contract as the user's will. Let alone glow and sparkly like a river at sunrise. It was impressive, and she never let her guard drop. And then to see the last demon that attacked, a giant Bear Demon was kicked through a few trees, Sesshomaru made a note not to be in the path of her kick... ever. He felt the raw power behind it. A feat normal humans could never hope to master, even the slayer.

When she pulled the key from the ring in her pouch, he watched as she took up a stance he'd not seen before. The air around her changed as she spoke an incantation, before a strange spirit, she called a compass, appeared. The flow of the magic he could tell was significantly muted. Meaning she had more control than he thought previously. More stuff to learn since he was bound to her side due to his mother's interference.

So, the moment another poof happened, he thought she had dismissed the spirit. After the smoke cleared, his senses highly offended by its smell, Sesshomaru was shocked to see it still. More so when it seemed to have changed shape. And while observing the woman, he noted she was shocked as well. Telling him, she was not aware that they could do that. But he was attributing it to the Shikon no Tama, which was still hanging innocently around her neck and resting in her cleavage.

Ready to find this key and return to Rin, Sesshomaru paused when Lucy just started walking in the direction the spirit had indicated. Biting back a scathing retort, he decided to follow at a sedated pace and keeping her in sight at all times. He was impressed as she navigated the forest with ease. She was avoiding all the hazards that could potentially harm her until they came out in a clearing near the base of the Mountain.

He could hear the whining from his brother about how the place was making him feel weak and ill. Sesshomaru was not affected as severely, but the purity of the Holy Mountain was irritating his skin. He watched as Lucy seemed to walk to the base and stare at the wall. Her head cocked to the side as she mumbled the riddle over and over.

It was fascinating to watch as her face went from one expression to another. She had that in common with Miko. But unlike the Miko, this woman, she was somewhat guarded. As if she was always holding something back. Though at times while she slept, he could smell it on her. Loneliness, fear, sadness, pain. But even then, it was significantly muted, and he knew that InuYasha was unable to smell it. Plus, on occasion, while she slept, he heard her say some names. Those he was sure belonged to her friends she had left behind.

"_Oh!_"

At the sound of Lucy exclaiming, Sesshomaru lifted an eyebrow and looked at her. She started giggling as she dismissed the small spirit that had been sitting on her shoulder. Next, he watched as she pulled out another silver key. She was once more taking up that odd stance, before her magic, again muted, filled the air. The strange circle at her feet appeared, crawling up the side of the Mountain, as she called out for a spirit named Lyra. It took only a second before there was a poof, and he could feel another of those strange beings appear.

"Yes, Hime!"

"Oh, Lyra, can you play a hymn?" Lucy asked.

He thought quickly about what she meant by hymn as the first strains of the Harp the spirit carried echoed on the air. The spirit's voice sweet, melancholic as she sang in a strange language. There was no doubt what she was singing about. Clever girl. A holy place, a holy song. Soon a rumbling was heard before the ground shook as the side of the Mountain parted, revealing a hidden passage.

"Thank you, Lyra, You may... " Lucy was saying only to trail off.

"Hime, this spirit... it is old, powerful... please be careful."

As soon as the spirit finished speaking, it was gone, leaving Sesshomaru to witness a very perplexed faced Lucy, which was rather intriguing. When she looked at them all, he just nodded his head and moved towards her. Glad that she took the silent signal for what it was.

* * *

Her mind was running in several directions as she tried to figure out what Lyra had meant. Of course, Canis Major would be old and powerful. There was plenty of legends revolving around the Constellation. But she wouldn't believe a darn thing until she met the spirit herself. Lucy was no fool; she had a gut feeling that this was just the start of a quest that held a reward that she couldn't even guess at.

The tunnel was not long, nor was it dark. Its walls were covered in glowing moss. A faint bioluminescent light casting a green glow across the walls was like out of a horror flick. At the thought, Lucy smiled as she made her way around the bend. Only to stop right before her was a pedestal with a key on it, a jade key.

"Okay... that is not what I expected," she muttered to herself.

"What is not, woman?"

Jumping straight up and choking (literally) on her scream, Lucy spun and glared daggers at the Demon Lord. Forcing a tight, polite smile, she just looked at him and breathing deeply through her nose. Knowing if she opened her mouth, she'd be screaming at the arrogant, stealthy like a ninja bastard. Once she felt she had herself under control, she took on last breath.

"I expected the key to be silver like Canis Minor, or my plue's key. Yet, this is jade," she explained.

Already she could hear the thrum from the key. It was calling to her, as it sensed her presence, or rather her magic. The pull was strong. It called to not just her magic, but her herself. Something Lucy had never expected to begin with. And it sort of scared her.

Slowly she turned and walked towards the pedestal. She was pausing for a few seconds trying to sense if there was a magical trap or not. She was feeling for something. Then carefully, she tested to see if there was a physical trap. When nothing presented itself, she stood up and looked down at the key. From how it was pulsating, she knew that the spirit was laughing at her. Quirking an eyebrow as she reached out and ran her fingers over the keys, she let her mouth drop open. The raw power of the spirit had her amazed.

With great reverence, she picked up the key and held it in her hand. Jade was a delicate stone. And while it was imbued with magic, she was not about to break the damn thing, even accidentally. Closing her hands around the key, she faced the group and nodded for them to leave, as she walked between them all towards the exit.

Once outside, the day had shifted to full-on night. She was making her blink. They were not in the cave for very long. Her internal clock and Hologram told her that. So, there had been spatial magic in there. Not many beings could do that type of magic. Narrowing her eyes as she made her way back to the clearing because she would summon this spirit in a wide space, just to be safe.

"I suggest that you all be prepared. I can tell you from the amount of magic in this key that when I summon it to make the contract, there will be a huge burst," she stated simply as she walked to the dead center.

Glancing at the others, she smiled and met each of their eyes. Seeing the serious look in their eyes as they accepted what she was saying. Of course, they had no clue what magic was, just that it attracted demons... just like the Shikon no Tama did.

"We will be ready, Lady Lucy, do as you must," Miroku said.

Giving a small nod of her head, Lucy spread her legs apart, lifted her arm in an arc until it was level with the front of her body. Closing her eyes, she channeled all her magic into the damn key, feeling it pull like a leech did blood. Once she felt it connect, Lucy opened her eyes.

"I am the road that connects this world and the next. I open the gate of the Jade Key, Canis Major," she intoned.

Her voice felt like it was booming in her ears as a magic circle appeared above her, contracting and expanding as it sucked upon not just her magic, but the power of the Shikon nestled in her chest. It was causing her to feel light-headed and dizzy. Just as she heard shouting and clanging of weapons, on top of the smell of melting flesh, Lucy gasped as her lungs constricted. A brilliant flash lit up the clearing just as her body started to fall backward.

"Now, now. You should not faint, dear lady, before we form a contract." A deep male voice resonated.

Lucy did her best to force her eyes open, just to see a flash of white and a smile that had her heart rate picking up at an alarming pace. There was no way in hell she'd survive this spirit, he was on par with Loke, or better in the looks department.

"Thank you for the compliment, but you need to stay awake, Hime," the voice spoke again as she was righted before she watched through hazy vision as the spirit walked away. Hands are cracking as they joined the fray.

_**TBC!**_


	9. Ch 08

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters; that right belongs to Hiro Mashima. Nor do I own Inuyasha or its characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

* * *

He felt the power as he lashed out with his Dokkaso (Poison Whip), causing loud pained cries to arise from the front line of the demons rushing them. He saw that there was a mix of various types ranging from weak little imps, weasels, and rats to outright powerful ones like Cats, wolves, bears, and a small dragon, which was rather intriguing as Dragons tend to be self-absorbed with their power not needing anything else. Then again, the woman was unique and could be seen as a treasure of sorts.

It was when he heard a deep rumbling voice that almost had him pausing as he pulled Bakusaiga from his side. The voice sounded beyond familiar, and he refused to believe it was who he thought it could be. Then there was the power that crashed over him; only it was stronger than his mind recalled. But even with that, he refused to believe it as he tore into another group of invading demons. This was not a battle they could win.

He was spinning as he flicked out his Dokkaso again. Sesshomaru came to a halt on the battlefield at what he was seeing. And from the way the others had come to a standstill as the demons began to scream in agony as poison mist flowed around the clearing, literally dissolving trees, grass, rocks, even the dirt, on top of the demons who couldn't get away quick enough, Sesshomaru let out a low growl — drawing the attention of what could only be the woman's newest spirit, Canis Major.

He growled again when all the spirit did smile at him. A smugness in golden-colored eyes like his own. Though the markings were more significant, more jagged on the face that looked like a young boy. As the long white ponytail fluttered behind armor that was splattered with the blood that also coated strong, yet delicate hands and dripped to the ground.

"Well, hello to you to pup," the spirit said, the smile on its face getting wider, showing more fang.

Sesshomaru said nothing as he stared at the man who was a mixed image of himself and Inuyasha. They'd encountered his spirit only once before when he, himself, had attempted for the sword that was now hanging at the spirits side. There was no mistaking the sword of Hell. There was only one master it would obey. He had tried and failed.

"Dad?"

At the single word, Sesshomaru swung Bakusaiga out, flicking the blood from it before sheathing it back on his hip. Then stood there, arms at his side watching as the spirit turned to look at his younger brother. Who was all moony-eyed? Of course, it was to be expected, since he had grown up with the man before him. To teach him the ways of the Inu Demons.

* * *

Her world swam as she fought off the effects of Magic Depletion. It sucked, but if there was one thing anyone could say about Lucy was that she was tenacious. So, as the battle raged around her as a large group of demons, both small and large, all from different species, she guessed by looks attacked. Her mind was already sorting out what she was seeing not just her new spirits abilities but those of the small groups.

Each was effective in their manner. And Lucy noted it and put it in its file in her mind. Then once she felt like she got her second wind, Lucy readied herself to join the fray. Stopping as her body locked up as a familiar voice, a powerful voice boomed in the back of her head. Knocking the breath straight from her lungs and causing her to drop to her knees with glazed eyes.

"You shall not join this battle, Little Friend. Watch and learn what happens. For you have given back an ancient friend of mine, for which I am grateful."

She whimpered in the back of her throat as she tried to formulate a reply. The presence of the Spirit King didn't recede from her mind or body. It was a hefty burden, making that new spirit she just summoned look like a pittance in her two magical containers. Though the soul with his bare hands quickly demolished some of the larger ones who showed real fear before they tried to escape. Then a green mist that eroded at the plants and ground surrounded them.

Lucy was stunned as the world went from being in semi-slow motion to fast forward as the spirit spoke directly to Sesshomaru, who had openly growled at the spirit — causing anger to fill her person because she didn't tolerate anyone or anything messing with her friends and family even if she hadn't entered into a contract with the spirit yet. Though the amusement she felt roll off the spirit as it addressed Sesshomaru as a pup made her want to laugh, though instinct had her keeping quiet.

It was when Inuyasha spoke up, calling the spirit dad that Lucy did a double-take. Looking from the spirit to the two white-haired males in her group. Eyes were going impossibly wide at seeing him be a good blend between the two. It had her head swimming as she tried to suck in desperate breaths, drawing the attention of the spirit back to her.

"Oh, I think the poor lass has had a bit too much excitement," he said, his lips quirking up in a grin that had Loke's paling considerably.

She could feel Loke pouring through their bond, but it was not in a bad manner. As the spirit walked towards her, she shrank back a bit. Her mind was buzzing with how the Hell a Celestial Spirit could be the father of an Inu Demon and his half brother, how the Hell had his broken key been put into this world. And when the Hell would Stache-face release her from his power. It was suffocating and making it hard to function.

When the man, no spirit, stopped before her, he knelt and frowned at her. She was sure it was because she shrank back from him. Though he didn't reach out to touch her, he did lift an elegant eyebrow above beautiful, reflective golden eyes. That had her finding it hard to look away. That was when Lucy noticed that the spirit didn't have the Crescent moon-like Sesshomaru.

With a deep, rumbling chuckle, Lucy blinked at the spirit before her. "Of all the things your mind can focus on, it is what I lack. Besides, he gets that from his mother," the spirit said before he furrowed his brows. "Now, Sei-roo, if you'd be so kind to withdraw your power from the poor Mage, I will explain things to not just her, but everyone."

It was in that instant Lucy felt her lungs expand, making her severely lightheaded. Her limbs were no longer being constricted, but they still felt more or less numb. Meaning in a few minutes that annoying, painful tingle of pinpricks would be happening.

"I am Toga, the spirit of the Jade Key, Canis Major. Originally I was a silver key in the world you lived in, Earthland. But to save me and a few others, our owner shattered out keys in a major war that was taking place due to a Dragon Slayer going Berserk," he explained.

His words had Lucy's eyes going wide. She knew the Dragon Slayer in question, since he was now called the Dragon of Apocalypse, Acnologia. So, the stories of when the key had been shattered were very authentic. But it didn't explain how the key had gotten to this place where magic didn't seem to exist, and Demons were very commonplace. Though disliked, or out right hated, like they were in Earthland. But traveling to another world was no biggie; she did that to Edolas.

The soft laugh that drew her from her headspace had her face flushed darkly as she looked at the spirit, no Toga. That was his name, and she would call him by that.

"To answer your question, a magical door was used. Information was given to several Celestial Mages, including one that looked almost like you. My owner shattered our keys to keep them from the hands of corrupt Celestial Mages, knowing they'd not make it past the door, or the eclipse gate being opened, which was a plea to protect the future. The Gods took pity upon us broken keys and sent us here," he explained.

* * *

Sesshomaru listened to his father to explain things to the girl. He had no clue who this Sei-roo person was. But he had felt the extreme power keeping the woman on the ground. But it had vanished after his father had spoken. His mind recalled the tales his father had told him of strong mages and the fight against dragons. How many sacrifices were made to protect the land that the mages lived in? Hard choices made.

Even as a small pup, he had sensed no lie in his father's words. Now, he was learning the truth his father was from another world. Was a spirit of the heavens. But it left so many questions. One of his pride would make him refuse to ask because that would show his curiosity, concern for the whole situation.

"If… you're a spirit, Great Lord Inu no Taisho, then how are you classified as a demon?" Miroku asked.

This had his father shifting and sitting cross-legged in the grass. And it bothered him that his father never took his eyes from the woman.

"Think about it, monk. Demons are considered fallen spirits. Whether it be of the underworld, an angry animal spirit after death, or of a human's make," Toga said. "And when my key was shattered, along with my companions and sent through the gate. The gods gave us a physical form. But we were warned, once our physical bodies expired we would return to our keys. Though we were not informed that our keys were no longer silver."

Sesshomaru looked at the back of his father's head. Trying to guess at what his endgame was. There was almost always an outcome where his father was concerned. And he would not be some willing pawn in it again. Not that he had hoped to defeat his father, not with the amount of raw power just unconsciously rolling from him.

* * *

Lucy was stunned. The fact that Toga told her all this was astounding. It had her heart soaring in her chest. That meant her earlier guess that this was the start of an adventure. Smiling, she looked at him, eyes narrowing. Already she knew he could hear her thoughts. A bit worrisome since they had no contract, to begin with.

"Will you enter into a contract with me then, Toga?" she asked.

The way he jerked back and blinked at her. His clawed hand was coming up and pointing at the key she held, which she raised for him to look at.

"By holding that Key, I am now bound to you and your descendants if they are born with the aptitude," he stated. "It is a lot different than before. And though I have been kept from the rest of the Celestial Realm, when I entered into the key and the Holy Man who was there the night my mate and wife died took me and put me here, you can say I got a crash course on everything I was missing in that world and this one."

"Oh… so what are your wants and needs?" Lucy asked. This earned a disdainful sniff from Sesshomaru and a whine from Inuyasha.

"While normal restrictions don't apply to me, or any of us that came through the gate… I would like to ask that when you use me, you do not call me for at least a day or two. While you have your second origin, it is not enough. They need to be expanded and your third opened. As for my needs, seeing my sons and being able to stretch my body about is good enough for me," Toga said. "And I can come and go on my power now. But if you need me, just think of me, don't bother calling out, and touch my key."

She nodded, memorizing all he said. Her eyes were darting to both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. She had a feeling that life was about to get even more hectic and crazy. But that was par for the course. At least she wasn't going to be bored without her teammates, or guild members. Smiling, she thrust her hand out to him and watching as he looked at her and took her hands in his own and gave it two quick, prompt shakes.

"There are contracts is now set," Lucy said, just as her eyes fluttered, and she fell asleep. Leaving everyone, including Toga, stunned as she instantly curled up in his arms as he caught her.

_**TBC!**_


	10. Ch 09

**Disclaimer: Author's own Fairy Tail or its characters; that right belongs to Hiro Mashima. Nor do I own Inuyasha or its characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

* * *

Lucy leaned back in the natural hot spring that they decided to camp next to. Her mind was sorting and organizing everything that had happened in the two weeks since she acquired the Jade Key, Canis Major. Who was also the father of two of her traveling companions? Currently, Toga was in the Celestial Realm catching up with the other spirits (mostly for her sanity). Because she was ready to find a way to replicate what the last owner of the Shikon no Tama had been able to do with those beads around Inuyasha's neck. One for both said individual and his damn brother.

Leaning her head back and staring at the few stars she could see through the trees as they towered over her. It was crazy, and she felt like pulling her hair out of her damn skull in bloody clumps. If she had thought that Inuyasha was annoying and his brother almost insufferable with his better-than-thou attitude, they were beyond that, and her mind couldn't conjure up a word for it either. Sighing, Lucy let her eyes flutter shut and tried to relax the knots out of her shoulders.

They had been searching for the next key with the clue Toga had given her. It was cryptic, and none of them have been able to figure out anything from it. Then again, with the constant influx of demons trying to attack the little group she now traveled with, on top of having Leo being cranky and making commentary in the back of her head, thinking clearly, rationally, and logically was not possible at the current moment.

"_I am swift and vicious. Catch me if you think you are able._"

Lucy says up, eyes snapping open as she looked around for the voice she heard. It was a ghost-like whisper in her ear. The feeling of her heart beating fast and heard in her chest as she jerked her body in a circle trying to see if she could sense anyone nearby. When she could see or feel anything near her, Lucy narrowed her eyes and growled low in her throat. She wasn't a fan of perverts, or people playing pranks.

Giving a loud snort, Lucy stood up and walked to the edge of the hot spring. She knew she would be unable to relax any further. Who or, even, what just spoke to her ruined any chance of that happening. Grabbing the towel Virgo had given her, Lucy briskly dried herself than dressed in the jeans and pale green t-shirt she brought. Sending a silent thank you to her spirit as she pulled on thick cotton socks and her calf-high hiking boots.

"_The chase is afoot. I am near yet far. Catch me if you can._"

A cold chill running down her spine as she sat up straight, Lucy whipped her head around to try and find the speaker again. Not able to stop herself, Lucy stood up and jogged back towards the camp they'd made. Already knowing it was pointless to try and hide the fact that she was nervous and a bit scared, Lucy broke into the clearing and made her way towards Sango and Miroku, who gave her questioning glances.

"Oi, what spooked you like a damn rabbit?" Inuyasha snapped at her.

When she turned to look at him, Lucy saw his ears go flat against his head.

"I heard a voice in the forest while I was bathing and after I got dressed," she said softly.

"A voice, Lady Lucy?" Miroku asked.

Slowly she nodded her head and explained what she had been doing and what was said both times. It disturbed her, possibly a demon trying to get her to run away from the group to be left alone and helpless. Something she was coming to understand had to do with the damn jewel she wore on a chain around her neck. Many have already come for it because of the power that it held and now mingled with her magic.

"Hmm, it sounds as if it is taunting you. Challenging you to catch whoever is speaking to you," Miroku said as he smiled.

This had Lucy pausing and blinking her eyes as she thought about what was said (again). Only to huff in annoyance.

"Well, at least she had enough sense to come back to the damn camp instead of chasing after the damn voice," Inuyasha stated as he laid down and rolled on his side, back to the group.

He had made a lot of rude comments about her and was outright insulting of their friend Kagome. Lucy had heard about his past and what it was like for him to grow up and to a point, she could relate. But for him to open just bash on someone and then keep calling them by someone else's name. Compare them to that person, when said person was dead, was just screwed up on so many levels. Then again, she had no room to say shit since she dealt with Natsu and her team.

This was just too much for her poor mind; Lucy decided it would be best to do what Inuyasha seemed to be doing at the moment — bunking down for the night. Getting up, she went over to the bedroll that Virgo had given her and crawled into it. Once Lucy felt comfy enough, Lucy rolled onto her back and looked up at the sky. Amazed at how clear it was as she began to search out the constellations she recognized.

* * *

He moved away from the tree he had been leaning against during the whole dramatic spectacle. Sesshomaru didn't have time to speculate about some mysterious whisper that the woman had heard. Though the words were intriguing, it had nothing to do with what he wanted. A thing that the woman denied him because she was annoyed with his brother's antics. Then again, the dark look she had shot in his general direction after the altercation that had caused her to stow his father away in what she called the Celestial Realm.

Of course, he had a lot of questions for his father. But what he wanted was to test how far he has come since his father's death. To prove he was his fathers equal, or could best his father now. It had been over seventy years since his father's death.

"You know she would be pissed if we did what you wanted, right?"

He was spinning around, hand on Bakusaiga as he stared at his father, who was leaning against a nearby tree and looking up at the sky.

"It does not matter what she feels or wants. And I guess this is par for the course with you and your human bitches," Sesshomaru growled.

His hand tightened on the hilt of his sword as he watched his father's head shifted, so he was now looking at him. The way the moonlight made his father's eyes shine like liquid gold as power rolled off his father as displeasure showed.

"Human or not, I was born a spirit and have found my master. So, yes, it does matter greatly what she feels and wants," Toga growled at him.

Sesshomaru slides one leg back, readying himself. His father was still defensive of humans. To him, he could respect the Miko for the fortitude she showed on the journey to right the wrong she had done. And the power she wielded to destroy the half-breed Naraku. This new girl, yes, she had magic and the Shikon no Tama. But he saw it; she didn't use her full potential. The spirits she could summon were weapons and tools, yet she treated them as friends and family, disgusting and weak.

"Really? Your Master. The Great Inu General, Ruler of the Western Lands, would bow before a weak female who doesn't realize the utility of the tools she has at hand?" he muttered.

In the span of an eyeblink, Sesshomaru was nose to nose with his father, neck being painfully squeezed as his body was lifted easily from the ground. The tiny prick on his neck began to burn with the poison from his father's claws. What had him going still was his father's eyes. They had bled red with slitted teal pupils, like his own. His father's beast, inner demon, was rearing his head in anger.

"You are still a child, Sesshomaru. I wonder if I should have left all my lands, riches to you? You haven't changed much at all. Though I know you have a human you care for, it is just because of the bond through the Tensaiga? Would you get rid of her if the bond created was broke?" his father snapped at him.

On his next breath, Sesshomaru felt his body flying through the air. He twisted and landed gracefully and looked at his father. Not surprised that his father looked as if nothing had happened. Face and eyes back to normal, that power he had radiated was gone.

"The stars will speak, they will guide. The key is pale and sparkles. Small and timid, I maybe, but strong I am. For power calls to power and comes in all shapes and sizes."

With those words, he watched his father vanish into a pillar of green and gold light. That was the riddle to find the next key. It still made absolutely no sense. But his father's questions had him thinking as Sesshomaru looked in the direction of the camp.

_**TBC!**_


	11. ch 10

**Disclaimer: Author's own Fairy Tail or its characters; that right belongs to Hiro Mashima. Nor do I own Inuyasha or its characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

**Author's Notes: November is National Novelist Writers Month, aka Nanowrimo! I will again be participating in it. And this year I am going to solely focus on all my Fairy Tail Stories. So, my other stories will not be updated during the month of November. Sorry, not sorry. I am still going to leave this fandom after they are all done. And if, at some point, down the road I find my love for FT again, I will come back with new stories and hopefully a less toxic fandom.**

* * *

Lucy gave a loud huff as she pulled herself up from the ground, spitting out dried grass and dirt. Narrowing her eyes as she glared balefully at the jerk who had put her in the crater. It was then her fault, having asked the (now smug) bastard to train her in fighting. She knew her skills were not as abysmal as he had made them out to be, not having had to survive many adventures and mage battles. This situation was on a whole other level; it was almost as if the white-haired, stick-up-his-ass Dog Lord was trying to kill her under the pretense of teaching her to fight.

"Glaring does nothing to win a fight, woman."

Not rising to the bait he was dangling, Lucy acted like she was brushing the filth from her person. It'd been just over a week since she'd acquired the Key of the Dog, the father to the two she traveled with. And having given a small brief respite to allow the three family members to bond had been interesting. Of course, it had led her to ask to be trained by a said prick who was now openly gloating, though it only showed how bright his amber eyes were.

"Well, at least you don't have to be puppy trained to piss outside," Lucy shot back at him before throwing herself to the right, rolling and popping up.

There where she stood was a small hole that had Sesshomaru standing in the middle. The faint pink tint to his eyes let her know she had needled him good. It was not easy to get under his cool, calm (almost) impenetrable facade. And his father had refused to help when she had asked him about it, said she was smart enough to figure it out on her own. Now it was a cold fire she was playing with, but the point of this exercise was to dodge and unsettle your opponent.

"Woman, you best watch where your line of insults goes."

Flashing in a bright smile, making sure to show her teeth, Lucy snorted as she shrugged off his warning. Already she knew if he tried to kill her, he'd be repelled by her spirits and the Shikon. Which still disturbed her on a whole new level, a sentient fucking jewel. One that tried to plague her dreams with making a selfless wish. Lucy was not stupid; she knew there was no such thing as a selfless wish. The very definition of a wish was to state a desire or need, whether for yourself or another. Fuck that shit.

Once more, Lucy threw herself out of harm's range, her arms coming up to block clumps of dirt, grass, and rocks. She wanted to pull her whip out and use it, but as it was directly related to her magic, that was a no-no. Gritting her teeth as her feet hit the ground as it crumbled underneath her weight. A sharp intake of air as her body fell straight down into the now mini ravine that was created.

"You are not focusing on and wasting my time. I do not wish to train an errant child, woman. If you cannot focus, this Sesshomaru will not train you."

"Yeah, well, if you want to be a petulant little bitch because I refuse to give in to your demands about sparring with your damn father, go get anally fucked mutt!"

The moment the words were out of her mouth Lucy knew she had crossed a line she shouldn't have. But with her body more-or-less wedged in the crack, she was unable to defend or move out of the way. Lucy took a deep breath and just stared at the now thoroughly enraged dog demon before her, waiting for his attack. Though, she would admit watching the magenta stripes on his face go jagged as his eyes turned the shade of freshly spilled blood with teal slitted pupils was fascinating.

Only seconds later, a brilliant flash of gold, pink, and green flashed before her eyes as a feral snarl came from the man above her. The Shikon had shielded her again and was purifying his acid, or was it poison? Both maybe? Either way, it took blow after blow.

"Damn, the bitch nailed him, didn't she?"

Not taking her eyes away from her attacker, willing the shield to stay put until he was done venting. Lucy slowly lifted a hand and flipped the bird to Inuyasha. Virgo was already asking in the back of her head if she could stomp him into the ground. To which she got a solid no and no to the punishment question. Though it was amusing to hear how much pleasure Virgo seemed to get out of doing that to Inuyasha, making Lucy wonder if her spirit might have a crush on him?

**"What is going on here!"**

Flinching as a muttered string of cuss words reached her ears, Lucy watched Sesshomaru shift his attention to the person who shouted. After being here for almost two months, Lucy had learned that demons were not welcomed, often hated upon. Those that were a mix between the two races, for demons were not a species, and that would be rude to assume it, were hated even more. But still, her fellow humans didn't seem to grasp the idea of danger from a threat that they were unable to handle.

"I open the gate of the Dog; come forth, Toga!" Lucy hissed under her breath just as Sesshomaru started to stalk towards the intrude, still in a rage.

There was no poof of smoke, the chime of a bell, just the appearance of Toga. He promptly snagged Sesshomaru by the back of his collar, threw him to the ground, and sat on him. While Lucy would be laughing hysterically at the sight they made(not that Inuyasha was holding back), she wisely stayed silent and extracted herself from the small crevice she was partially stuck in.

"Ah, my good sir, I am sorry for the disturbance. They had a mock sparring match at the young ladies' behest," Miroku said, his voice coming out smooth.

Slowly Lucy turned herself to look at the man who spoke and bit the inside of her lip. He was wearing armor with a crest on it. Easily her mind recalled a conversation a few nights ago they'd all had around the campfire. They'd entered (at some point) the lands of the ruling Noble family, it seems, as this man was a samurai. Who was eyeing her, Toga and Sesshomaru, who wasn't struggling with the lack of sounds? She wondered how they'd get out of this situation without bloodshed.

* * *

It was silent as they all sat there before a man who was clearly someone familiar with the battle. In fact, Lucy was sure that she could smell the blood that had steeped permanently into his flesh. The way he kept eyeing her was not comfortable. Then again, it could be because the poor bastard who'd been sent to check out the disturbance had been pounded into the ground by her, with no weapons, just her normal brutal, patented 'Lucy Kick.'

"Let me get this straight. Your little, hodgepodge group is on a journey that you will not explain more about. And you just happened to enter my lands because you got information that said a part of what you are looking for is here?"

Lucy put a small smile on her lips and dipped her head. Sango had knocked out Miroku after he grouped this man's Head Chatelains' posterior. A part of her was happy he knew what a demon hunter was, and Demons. In fact, this man, Nobunaga Oda, knew who Toga was and hadn't asked many questions about how a great demon general was alive again.

"Fine, I can leave it at that. But I am curious about you, woman. Your hair is blond like that of the few westerners that have come to Nihon to peddle their wares. But you do not seem to be like them. And if what my subordinate said is true, you put him face-first into the ground with a simple kick."

There was no question; it was a full-on statement. Again, Lucy just dipped her head in acknowledgment. Her eyes were watching him closely, reading his body language for any hint of ulterior motives.

"I find it hard to believe a petite woman who is overly endowed could do that with a kick. You look like a poor example of a Geisha. Though you sit there and act like a proper lady from a Nobles house."

It was hard for Lucy to keep the twitching from her face as she felt her smile become even tighter and forced. If asked, she would more than demonstrate on his person. She had been informed of what a Geisha was, and she was not a paid whore for those with money. Hell, she was still a virgin, for fucks sake. This world and their mycologist manners were pissing her off. If he has seen her in the outfit she had originally shown up in, he'd probably have some mental and physical issues.

"Do you have nothing to say?"

At this, Lucy let her smile get wider, sweeter as she narrowed her eyes at this man or rather WarLord. The way he arched an eyebrow and seemed to smirk in return was telling.

"To tell you the truth, Sir Oda, I am of noble birth. But frankly, being objectified as chattel and something to be sold off to a man three times my age is just sickening. Especially if it was for nothing more than money, prestige. I do have a brain between my ears, so do not think I am an idiot," Lucy said, her voice getting low and soft, yet staying polite and respectful (mostly). "And I have fought my share of battles. _If_ you'd like, I can _prove_ to you that I did as you were told."

The way his other eyebrow inched its way up to his forehead as the other men, all warlords under him, stared aghast at her. Lucy knew they all knew it was a challenge and one-pointedly directed. From behind her, there was soft chuckling that Lucy knew came from Toga, accompanied by a snort of derision from Sesshomaru. She knew he was still pissed that their sparring match had been interrupted.

"You have guts, little girl. But you also speak the truth and are valid reasons, even if it is a woman's place to do as her father wishes. But I will take you up on that offer, a small match of sumo wrestling. And if you can knock down, pin, or even move the one I chose outside of the designated area, you and your group are free to roam my lands unheeded for what you are looking for. Deal?"

The way the air in the room became tense; Lucy knew she had no choice. And something told her that this match wouldn't be something she was familiar with. Even still, Lucy sat straighter and gave a quick, short, and sharp nod of her head.

"Good, then everyone outside. A sumo match it is!"

Lucy didn't understand what Sumo was, but she was sure that she'd get a brief crash course. And one way or another, she'd do her damnedest to win.

* * *

Sesshomaru just stared at the impromptu sumo wring. It had been rather amusing to see Lucy's face go red as her opponent emerged in nothing but the mawashi that was worn during the Sumo match. The amused laughter (at her expense) from the gathered warlords, except for Nobunaga, as well as his brother, had only made blush darker. But he could tell that it wasn't from embarrassment.

Of all the people that this man, Oda Nobunaga, had chosen was his right-hand man Mitsuhide Akechi. While he looked mild mannered, he was well aware of his feats as a warrior. Not that he cared for humans, but Sesshomaru would be foolish not to keep track of those humans that did pose a _potential_ threat. And after talking at length with the Miko Kagome, he knew these men would change the flow of history that would give rise to the time period the Miko had lived in.

Though he still wanted to take the damn woman to task for her comments from earlier. He'd give Lucy some acknowledgment for finding the right way to anger him and make him lose control. It was the purpose of that exercise, but she didn't heed him when he said to leave off. No, she goaded him until his beast rose and made him kill her, which brought that strange and damnable shield out. It was curious that the Shikon would help her when it was nothing but a bauble intent on mischief.

"Oh! Look at that!"

Let his eyes narrow as he watched the two grapple. Mitsuhide was at least a good four inches taller than Lucy and easily bodywise out massed her. But the way she slid her feet wider in the loose sand, lowering her body's center of gravity, he couldn't help the corner of his mouth twitch upward. He was well aware that she could fight, was oddly stronger than one would think looking at her. Or that her sense of balance was exceptionally good with how large her chest was. No, she was a smart and fierce, tiny human female.

In seconds the flow of the match shifted as Akechi's eyes went wide as Lucy lunged in as she let go of one of his hands and grasped the edge of his mawashi and jabbed her shoulder into his chest. The way her feet spun in the loose sand as she shifted her own body weight, keeping her center of gravity low. It was almost beautiful with the fluidity as she lifted the man up and over her shoulder and then to drop him on his back on the soft ground.

"Match Set!"

Sesshomaru stood from where he had sat on the provided tatami mat, his father beside him rising as well. When Lucy spun and looked directly at him, openly ignoring Nobunaga and all his vassals, he saw the way her brown eyes sparked in open defiance at him alone. He knew it was another challenge, but he just tilted his and earned a small smile from her.

"I concede you are more than capable as a woman and fighter. You may roam my lands freely on your journey. And if you ever get bored, you may come back and warm my bed."

Sesshomaru went still as what seemed to be a dark aura full of killing intent leaked out from Lucy. It was rather impressive and made him suddenly question if she might have demon blood in her before dismissing it. Instead, opting to watch silently as Lucy rounded on Oda Nobunaga and told him to go, fuck himself, with some rather graphic hand signs to make sure he understood her.

_**TBC!**_

**NEXT STORY TO BE UPDATED is Fallen Star**


	12. Ch 11

**Disclaimer: Author's own Fairy Tail or its characters; that right belongs to Hiro Mashima. Nor do I own Inuyasha or its characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

* * *

It had been a few days since their little soiree with the local Lord of the Land. Lucy was just so done, though now she had a few different (and newer) problems. One was Inuyasha wanting to spar with her because he couldn't believe she had flipped a man taller and more muscled than her. After all, she was human. And that had her seething and allowing Virgo a semi-free reign to put the loudmouth jerk into the ground. Talk about being speciesist and sexiest. Though Lucy would give Sango credit, who had thwacked Inuyasha with her giant boomerang into the ground when he said a human woman couldn't be that strong.

Miroku has wisely stayed silent and stood with Sesshomaru, who had watched impassively, almost bored-looking, to the side. Lucy wasn't stupid; she noticed that the demon lord now looked at her in a different light. But she would rather not even try to analyze it because he was still infuriating to no end.

But at the moment, Lucy's biggest issue was that strange voice was back, repeating its message, "_I am swift and vicious. Catch me if you think you are able._" And now the rest of the group heard it. Thinking it would be prudent to ask Grandpa Crux and Toga, she was let down as they couldn't interfere, which in her mind confirmed that this was a spirit talking to her. That she had to figure it out and hunted down the spirit. Which she had done, and now Lucy was feeling like a storybook character since her life was now openly mimicking Alice in Wonderland.

Gritting her teeth as she continued to chase after the small iridescent light that kept well ahead of her, darting to and fro in a zig-zag pattern. It was like hunting a fucking rabbit. The urge to use her magic was strong, yet for some reason, her magic was inaccessible. Meaning this was her trial for the damn Key. It shouldn't be that hard to catch the damn ball of light in the open plains, so why was it difficult?

"_Are you tired? Do you want to stop? You only get one chance._"

Narrowing her eyes, growling as she pushed herself to her physical limits, Lucy watched and waited. The pattern hadn't deviated in how the damn thing was moving. When it jerked back to her right, Lucy half lunged, half threw herself at the same time. She gave a triumphant whoop as her hands seemed to wrap around the damn iridescent ball of light only to have a large hole open.

"_**Fuck!**_" she got out as gravity took its rightful toll, and she was falling into the black abyss.

She could faintly hear the cries of the others as she hugged that ball of light to her chest. Her only thought was to protect the spirit at all costs as the opening of the hole grew smaller and smaller.

"_Key. Find it and go home? Fight. No choice you are given._"

Unsure of what was meant, Lucy looked down at her arms. The little ball was rapidly growing and forming into a distinctively humanoid shape and male. A male whose face was in her breast, as blue eyes peek through pale lavender-colored hair. Panic filled her mind as she fought internally (with herself) on whether to hold onto the spirit or push it away, calling it a pervert. Because she was sure, a Lucy Kick would be bad, and the angle was totally wrong.

* * *

It was amusing watching the woman chase after the small will-o'-the-wisp ball of light. He noted that she wasted too much of her energy, pushing herself to her limits like a fool. The complete opposite of how she was when she did the sumo match with the human Mitsuhide Akechi. Sesshomaru felt annoyed since this spirit had been vocally taunting the woman for the past two days. That and his instincts told him to chase his prey, but he wasn't sure if the prey was the ball of light or the woman?

Sesshomaru let his gaze slide to his brother and the rest of the group. His brother had made some rather snide comments and been thoroughly humiliated for it by the weird pink-haired spirit. He didn't think that a human female could be weak. The Miko had proven that as time had passed, growing as an individual by accepting her situation. That the Slayer was able to wield such a large weapon made from Demon Parts like it was nothing. His brother was such a dense idiot at times, and he hoped their father, who he knew was always watching, would realize that.

In fact, he was sure his mother was still able to go toe to toe with him in abilities. Not that he would openly say or admit it. Turning his gaze back towards the woman, Sesshomaru couldn't help arching an eyebrow as he watched her throw herself to the side, arms outstretched to grasp the ball. He could tell that she had realized that it was running in the same pattern over and over again. It was about time, but his mild amusement was cut short when light encompassed her, and she landed on the ground unmoving.

The shouts of the Slayer and monk as they rushed forward. He was well aware that each of these spirits would give a riddle and require a challenge she had to overcome. His fathers had been sealed in Mt. Hakurai, requiring a specific type of song to open. So, in his mind, it stood that first catching the spirit in a semi-physical form would be part of it. Sesshomaru already guessed which spirit this was based on the riddle, feeling no need to tell anyone.

Giving a small sigh, Sesshomaru slowly made his way to where the others were now gathered. Only to narrow his eyes as he saw the transparent form holding hands around Lucy's throat as the color slowly began to drain from her face. This trail could end her life, as he couldn't sense any of her magic. He hoped that she wouldn't let something like this kill her, not when he hadn't exacted his price from her hide after that debacle in the forest.

_**TBC!**_

**NEXT STORY TO UPDATE is Fallen Star**


	13. Ch 12

**Disclaimer: Author's own Fairy Tail or its characters; that right belongs to Hiro Mashima. Nor do I own Inuyasha or its characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

* * *

Lucy felt strange as they kept on falling as if her body was progressively getting colder. The arms of the Spirit around her were gradually getting tighter, making it hard to breathe.

"_Fight. Show me your strength. I am not weak._"

All while the words it said were constantly being repeated. It was hard to focus on what they were saying. Lucy had figured out that this Spirit was a rabbit in nature based on how it ran, and now she was falling down a long hole. At the thought of being in a hole, Lucy shifted her gaze up and saw that the opening was a circle of light about the size of a beach ball now. However, it was still getting smaller by the second.

"_You fight. I will prove I am stronger, not weak. Show me._"

Opening her mouth to speak, Lucy found it hard to do. Shifting her gaze back to the Spirit, she saw that it wasn't so ethereal in appearance. Nope, it looked almost as solid as it felt squeezing her. That pale lavender hair was very long down _his_ back, for it was most definitely a guy. Those clear, pale blue eyes were glinting dangerously at her, showing patience that was a bit frightening. All as that pale, porcelain colored skin seemed to glow, highlighting long fangs that seem to protrude from thin lips.

Lucy closed her eyes and tried her best to focus on what was being said, why the Spirit wanted to fight her, to prove his strength. Her mind shifted through all that she had seen, experienced. Then jumped to the knowledge she had on rabbits in general. Lucy had always thought that rabbits were small, cute, gentle, and timid creatures that could bring a person joy as a pet or provide food for those who hunted them for their meat.

Yet, in researching so many things while working on her novel back in Earthland, Lucy had come to have a deeper understanding of them. Rabbits were, by nature, social creatures in their own circles. That their dens, or warrens, were a large set of interconnecting tunnels that protected the families and could confuse the predators that hunted them and could fit into said tunnels. Yet, Lucy knew that rabbits would run at the first sign of trouble, using trails and hidden paths in the underbrush that made it hard for not just humans but other animal predators to track them back to their homes. Then again, she knew from Natsu that when he and happy tracked rabbits, they could go very still, slow their heartbeats and hide in plain sight. But when caught, they were vicious things that kicked out with their strong back legs and long nails to rip apart whatever was holding them.

Smiling, Lucy tightened her arms around the Spirit, holding it more firmly against her body. What was the right solution? What did it mean to fight? There were many different ways to fight, to show one's strength. But, somehow, Lucy knew that physically fighting back would be bad. There was no denying this Spirit was way stronger than her physically.

"_Fight me. Show me strength. I am not weak. I will prove it._"

Opening her eyes, Lucy looked directly into the eyes of the Spirit, who was now almost all the way solid. If it weren't for her situation, she would think he was cute in a childish innocent way. There was no denying that those eyes showed an innocence as they glared openly at her, daring her to act. Then it hit her, and hard as Lucy realized that she already had the solution. There were many different kinds of strength; not all of them were physical. Same with fighting, people didn't need to fight using raw, brute strength.

Having her answer, Lucy looked at the Spirit, hoping that the gaze she was giving him was stern. Then Lucy hoped it would hear what she thought since speaking wasn't an option. Not with her ribs being crushed.

"_No. I will not fight you._"

The way those blue eyes went wide before their arms began to tighten even more.

"_Weak. You are weak. Pathetic. I am stronger._"

Not breaking eye contact at the jubilation that echoed in the Spirits voice. Lucy just arched an eyebrow.

"_No, I am not weak. I am strong, but it is how I use my strength, for there are many different kinds of strength._"

At this, the Spirit blinked and drew his upper lip back, making the fangs more pronounced.

"_No, I am the strongest. I want proof there is more than one strength._"

She saw the intelligence shine again in the depths of his eyes as they narrowed. But now, with him being fully physically formed and his arms like a vice making it hard for her breath and focus, Lucy knew her time was growing short.

"_Okay. I am strong in strength in the heart and mind. Physical strength is using your body to fight. Like you are doing right now, crushing my ribs, making me unable to breathe. But you know that your intelligence or strength of mind shows in your eyes,_" Lucy thought at the Spirit. "_The way you ran from me after the group I was with found you shows that you were trying to lose me; shake me off, Mr. Rabbit. I know that my strength isn't what you probably want, but if I fought you physically, you'd kill me with a blow or two. I couldn't compare. But, I offer my other strength of mind and heart to you if you'll accept it._"

The last of her words felt faint in her mind as her vision began to blur. It was not what she wanted as her mind registered that her life was slipping from her. The lack of oxygen was now showing its signs. But there was one last thing Lucy wanted to do, hoping it would reach to Spirit. Slowly she began to run her fingers through the silken strands of the Spirits hair, marveling at how soft they were.

"_I accept. You are smart. I am the Opal Key of the Rabbit; my name is Juromaru. Wake up and heal, then we shall make our pact._"

A slight rumble, akin to when Happy purred while being pet, came from the chest of the Spirit. All Lucy could feel was warmth filling her heart as she let her eyes close, and her body began to feel light even as it hurt. She had a new family member to love and care for.

* * *

Sesshomaru watched as those ghost-like hands began to solidify, showing the outline of the person or Spirit they belonged to. For some reason, the vibe coming off of it felt familiar. Familiar in a manner that had him narrowing his eyes.

"Hey, you guys see that? Something is strangling the dumb bitch."

At Inuyasha's comment, Sesshomaru curled his fingers into fists, making sure that they cracked loudly. He didn't like what his brother liked to call Lucy. She had proven herself to be capable in more than one way; even if it was her fault, they were all traveling the whole of Japan to find these damnable keys.

"It would seem that the Spirit is challenging. Miss Lucy," Miroku spoke up. "I had wondered after receiving Sir Toga's key if there would be more trials."

"What do you mean?"

At the idiocy his brother was showing, Sesshomaru shifted, so his back was to the others. His eyes taking in that Lucy's lips were a pale blue, and her skin was almost the same shade of white as his kimono. But what had him peering closer was the smile on her face as her eyes moved rapidly under her eyelids. It was curious how she could look happy and be thinking while being choked to death.

"Think about it. Lucy was given a riddle to solve, leading us to Mt. Hakurai," Miroku explained, his voice showing an edge of annoyance. "But when we got to where the Key was supposed to be was just the side of the mountain. Lucy had to think and then used a Spirit to play a hymn to open the hidden door to get the Key. That is what is called a trial. It forced Lucy to think."

"Feh. So, this is a trial of life and death?"

"Hey, guys... shut up. Doesn't that Spirit look familiar?" Sango snapped.

Sesshomaru was happy with Miroku's explanation. Indeed Lucy had to think, using basic reasoning skills to solve a riddle, then find a solution to gain access to the exact hiding spot. But with each passing minute, the Spirit became clearer, gaining a physical body sitting on Lucy's torso and squeezing her throat so she couldn't breathe. At Sango's statement of the Spirit looking familiar, it brought Sesshomaru back to why it would feel familiar to him.

"Shit. That is Juromaru one of Naraku's incarnations," Inuyasha stated, before the sound of Tessaiga being released from its sheath. "How is this possible? Naraku is dead."

Feeling shocked for a few seconds, Sesshomaru turned and glared at his brother, who was readying his sword.

"You attack that Spirit and harm it; then Lucy is dead. We can get the details later, now put your sword away," he commanded his brother.

The dark, baleful glare he got didn't phase him in the least. After a few seconds, Sesshomaru felt relieved when Inuyasha had put his sword back in its sheath. Turning back to Lucy and the Spirit, who was now fully manifested, Sesshomaru felt more shock flood his system. The Spirit had shifted off Lucy and was now holding her in his arms like a precious toy. And though she was still unconscious, she was smiling as the color returned slowly to her body; her hands were running through the Spirits long, lavender hair as it gave a deep rumbling purr-like sound.

At some point, after he had looked away, Lucy had done something that had won the Spirit over to her side. Though Sesshomaru wanted to know what it was, he'd have to wait until she woke up.

"We shall make camp for the night here. Lucy is in no shape to be traveling after her ordeal," he stated, as his eyes honed in on the strange markings that seemed to appear under the bruising on her neck.

_**TBC!**_

**NEXT STORY TO UPDATE is Fallen Star**


End file.
